Stephen F. Austin
Incarnate Word
Ladyjacks Split Pair of One-Run Games With Cardinals
4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Incarnate Word 5, Stephen F. Austin 4 (9 inn.)
Game One Box Score
Stephen F. Austin 3, Incarnate Word 2
Game Two Box Score
Cardinals Field • San Antonio, Texas
Records: SFA (20-24, 9-10 SLC); UIW (15-28, 6-14 SLC)
Up Next: Game Three • Saturday, April 23 • Noon
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – In two tightly contested Southland Conference games on Friday at Cardinals Field in San Antonio, the Stephen F. Austin and Incarnate Word softball teams split a pair of one-run decisions to open the weekend series. The Cardinals came away with a 5-4 walk-off victory in game one before the Ladyjacks grabbed a 3-2 win in game two.
Junior designated player Brittany Lewis continued her tear through league play with two big games at the plate. Combined on the day, she went 6-for-7 with two RBI, two doubles and one home run.
Lewis opened game two with a solo shot to centerfield to help the Ladyjacks jump out to an early 1-0 lead. She followed her ninth long ball of the season up with an RBI double to the hole in right center in the fifth inning. The gapper enabled Alisa Hamilton to score after walking earlier in the frame. Pinch running for Lewis, Heather Hollingsworth made it a 3-0 SFA lead by scoring on a squeeze bunt by Taylor LeFlore.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the sixth but sophomore pitcher Callee Guffey was able to prevent further damage to get the win. Guffey (W, 8-5) went the distance, allowing two runs on four hits in 7.0 innings. She notched three strikeouts while lowering her season ERA to a stingy 2.69.
Lewis went a perfect 3-for-3 in the game, accounting for three of SFA’s five total hits. Taylor Fraccastoro and Courtney Chambers were responsible for the other two.
The Ladyjacks never trailed in the first game of the series until Natali Duron hit a walk-off RBI single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for UIW.
Fraccastoro walked and scored the first run of the series opener on a Cardinal error in the fourth inning. The Ladyjacks later made it a 4-1 cushion with three runs in the seventh. Sacrifices by Annie Mehringer and Faith Talley, along with an RBI single by Fraccastoro gave SFA the three-run advantage – just three outs from victory.
The Cardinals were able to mount a rally in the bottom half however, tallying three runs on two hits and an error to force extras. Duron later broke the tie in the ninth.
Sophomore Makayla Sikes gave up four runs – three earned – on five hits over 6.0 innings in the start. Guffey came on in relief for the final 2.2 innings and surrendered just one unearned run in the ninth.
Lewis went 3-for-4 in game one with Fraccastoro and LeFlore registering two hits apiece.
The Ladyjacks will wrap up the three-game series on Saturday with a single game at Cardinals Field. First pitch is set for noon.
-SFA-
