Stephen F. Austin
Abilene Christian
Ladyjacks Drop Series Finale to Wildcats, 6-1
4/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Abilene Christian 6, Stephen F. Austin 1
SFA Softball Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (19-23, 8-9 SLC); ACU (18-18, 12-6 SLC)
Up Next: Houston • Tuesday, April 19 • 3:30 p.m.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Taylor Fraccastoro powered her fifth home run of the season but the bats were otherwise quiet for the Stephen F. Austin softball team on Saturday afternoon in a 6-1 loss to Abilene Christian at SFA Softball Field. The Ladyjacks dropped the weekend series 2-1 and fall to 8-9 in Southland Conference play as a result.
Fraccastoro, a sophomore catcher from Orange, Texas (Little Cypress-Mauriceville), scorched a laser over the wall down the left field line in the second inning to put SFA on the board. The solo shot came with one out in the frame and was the only offense the Ladyjacks could generate against ACU pitcher Hannah Null.
Fraccastoro’s fifth dinger of the year moves her to second on SFA’s home run list this season behind only Brittany Lewis (8).
Null (W, 10-9) worked a complete game for the Wildcats, allowing one run on five hits and striking out five in the winning decision.
Sophomore second baseman Autumn Holloway was the only Ladyjack with a multi-hit performance on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with one double. Courtney Chambers and Lewis each tallied a single hit in the ballgame.
ACU used a pair of two-run home runs in the second and third innings to build an early 4-1 cushion. Cara Hoover went deep in the second and Peyton Hedrick followed with a two-RBI homer to center in the third.
The Wildcats added to their lead in the seventh, scoring on a passed ball and an RBI groundout to make it 6-1.
Hannah Welch (L, 1-5) gave up two runs on two hits over the first 2.0 innings before Lewis came on in relief. She was charged with four runs – three earned – on seven hits in 4.1 innings and struck out three. Sophomore Makayla Sikes closed the game in the seventh, recording the final two outs without surrendering a hit.
The Ladyjacks will conclude their five-game homestand on Tuesday afternoon at SFA Softball Field when Houston comes to town for a midweek, non-conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
-SFA-
