Saturday, March 10
Nacogdoches, Texas
12 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
13-9, 3-0
6
vs
5
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
8-16, 0-3
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4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
A&M-Corpus Christi
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
5
7
3
Stephen F. Austin
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
5
6
8
1
Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography
Ladyjacks Finish Opening Southland Series Sweep in Dramatic Fashion
3/10/2018 3:40:00 PM | Softball
SFA scores five unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn extra-inning, come-from-behind victory
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – After taking two games from visiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday, the Stephen F. Austin softball team completed a three-game series sweep of the Islanders Saturday afternoon at SFA Softball Field, winning in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion. The Ladyjacks (13-9, 3-0 Southland) earned a 6-5, nine-inning win to pick up their first Southland Conference series sweep since April of 2015.
Tied at 1-1 through seven innings of play, A&M-Corpus Christi (8-16, 0-3 Southland) got a grand slam in the top of the ninth to take a 5-1 lead on SFA before the Ladyjacks scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the frame for the walk-off win. A two RBI single up the middle from senior third baseman Amber Landry (Ponchatoula, La.) with just one out put SFA ahead for the first time of the contest and ended the extra-inning affair.
"Hats off to our offense for staying together, fighting, stepping up and finding a way to win," head coach Nicole Dickson said following the inspiring triumph. "That takes a lot of maturity as an offense to be able to come from behind like that. We were down and out and nobody thought we were coming back, but our hitters were mentally tough and executed and went one at time base to base."
"Autumn Holloway was our senior of the day and got the game ball," continued coach Dickson. "She had great composure and great leadership, she did everything we needed her to do on offense and defense. Her great attitude and leadership is what we needed. Your seniors stepping up is what you have to have in conference play."
SFA lined eight hits in the contest and benefited from three Islander errors, scoring in just the fourth and ninth innings. Perhaps most impressive was that the Ladyjacks did not strike out for the entirety of the game, while senior right-hander Makayla Sikes (Gilmore, Texas) rung up 11 Islander batters, setting a career high in strikeouts after recording a career-high nine during Friday's game two of the series.
A one-run, two-hit opening inning by A&M-Corpus Christi put the Islanders up 1-0 after a RBI single by shortstop Kaylon Dunn. SFA would get just two hits in the first three innings before collecting three in the bottom of the fourth and tying up the score at 1-1 as freshman left fielder Katherine Thompson (Spring, Texas) singled for an RBI, scoring Landry.
Following two and a half innings of scoreless ball and still knotted up at one a piece, Thompson singled through the right side in the bottom of the seventh and then advanced to third off of a sacrifice bunt from junior pinch hitter Lauren Becker (Cypress, Texas) and a ground out. With two outs, it appeared Thompson would score on a well-hit ball to right field by freshman second baseman Bryana Novegil (Houston, Texas), however, A&M-Corpus was able to throw Novegil out at first in time to end the inning.
More solid pitching from Sikes took the Ladyjacks to the ninth inning still tied at 1-1. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Islanders with two outs in the top of the ninth, A&M-Corpus Christi right fielder Whitney Wendel crushed a two-out, 2-1 pitch down the left field line for a grand slam. The four-run shot gave the Islanders what looked like and insurmountable 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Needing a string of hits and a grand slam themselves, SFA scored in a variety of ways in the bottom of what would be the final frame. Thompson led off and reached first base on an A&M-Corpus Christi fielding error, before advancing to third on a pair of wild pitches. Following a walk by freshman shortstop Emily Evans (Santa Fe, Texas), junior center fielder Courtney Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) reached on another Islander fielding error and collected an RBI as Thompson scored to make it 5-2.
After Novegil walked to load the bases with no outs, senior right fielder Autumn Holloway (Cypress, Texas) reached on a RBI fielder's choice to the shortstop, allowing Evans to score as Novegil was out on the play at second base. Now within two runs at 5-4, the Ladyjacks got an RBI double down the left field line from senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro (Orange, Texas). Brown scored on the first hit of the half inning, making it 5-4 with runners on first and second and just one out. Landry then took a 2-1 count and knocked through a two RBI single up the middle for the walk-off hit.
"I thought our kids were really mentally tough," commented Dickson. "Makayla Sikes threw one heck of a game. She had one miss pitch, and I don't even think it was a bad pitch, the girl just hit a good pitch. I feel like we could have scored earlier, I think we left some runners on base so we had our moments. I would like our team to come out and make adjustments sooner."
"Overall, a great weekend," Dickson added. "We had a little bit of everything, from playing from behind, to a run rule, to extra innings. Going into next weekend we should be prepared for everything."
Novegil finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk, while Landry was 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Thompson also went 2-for-4 with a RBI and scored once. Sikes (7-5) earned her team-best fourth complete game win of the season, going all nine innings and striking out 11 of the 38 batters she faced.
A&M-Corpus Christi's Dunn was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a walk as left fielder Keagan Helson went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Right-hander Ashley Smith (2-7) went the distance for the Islanders in the circle, walking two and giving up just one earned run in the loss.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will now travel to Prairie View, Texas, Wednesday, March 14 for a 3 p.m. non-conference tilt with Prairie View A&M. The game will serve as the opener to a nine-game road trip for SFA with the Ladyjacks heading down to Thibodaux, Louisiana, next weekend for a three-game Southland series at Nicholls.
For all weather-related SFA softball schedule changes throughout the 2018 spring season, be sure to keep an eye on SFAJacks.com and follow SFA softball on Facebook (SFA Softball) and Twitter (@SFA_Softball).
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball throughout the season.
-SFA-
Tied at 1-1 through seven innings of play, A&M-Corpus Christi (8-16, 0-3 Southland) got a grand slam in the top of the ninth to take a 5-1 lead on SFA before the Ladyjacks scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the frame for the walk-off win. A two RBI single up the middle from senior third baseman Amber Landry (Ponchatoula, La.) with just one out put SFA ahead for the first time of the contest and ended the extra-inning affair.
"Hats off to our offense for staying together, fighting, stepping up and finding a way to win," head coach Nicole Dickson said following the inspiring triumph. "That takes a lot of maturity as an offense to be able to come from behind like that. We were down and out and nobody thought we were coming back, but our hitters were mentally tough and executed and went one at time base to base."
"Autumn Holloway was our senior of the day and got the game ball," continued coach Dickson. "She had great composure and great leadership, she did everything we needed her to do on offense and defense. Her great attitude and leadership is what we needed. Your seniors stepping up is what you have to have in conference play."
SFA lined eight hits in the contest and benefited from three Islander errors, scoring in just the fourth and ninth innings. Perhaps most impressive was that the Ladyjacks did not strike out for the entirety of the game, while senior right-hander Makayla Sikes (Gilmore, Texas) rung up 11 Islander batters, setting a career high in strikeouts after recording a career-high nine during Friday's game two of the series.
A one-run, two-hit opening inning by A&M-Corpus Christi put the Islanders up 1-0 after a RBI single by shortstop Kaylon Dunn. SFA would get just two hits in the first three innings before collecting three in the bottom of the fourth and tying up the score at 1-1 as freshman left fielder Katherine Thompson (Spring, Texas) singled for an RBI, scoring Landry.
Following two and a half innings of scoreless ball and still knotted up at one a piece, Thompson singled through the right side in the bottom of the seventh and then advanced to third off of a sacrifice bunt from junior pinch hitter Lauren Becker (Cypress, Texas) and a ground out. With two outs, it appeared Thompson would score on a well-hit ball to right field by freshman second baseman Bryana Novegil (Houston, Texas), however, A&M-Corpus was able to throw Novegil out at first in time to end the inning.
More solid pitching from Sikes took the Ladyjacks to the ninth inning still tied at 1-1. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Islanders with two outs in the top of the ninth, A&M-Corpus Christi right fielder Whitney Wendel crushed a two-out, 2-1 pitch down the left field line for a grand slam. The four-run shot gave the Islanders what looked like and insurmountable 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Needing a string of hits and a grand slam themselves, SFA scored in a variety of ways in the bottom of what would be the final frame. Thompson led off and reached first base on an A&M-Corpus Christi fielding error, before advancing to third on a pair of wild pitches. Following a walk by freshman shortstop Emily Evans (Santa Fe, Texas), junior center fielder Courtney Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) reached on another Islander fielding error and collected an RBI as Thompson scored to make it 5-2.
After Novegil walked to load the bases with no outs, senior right fielder Autumn Holloway (Cypress, Texas) reached on a RBI fielder's choice to the shortstop, allowing Evans to score as Novegil was out on the play at second base. Now within two runs at 5-4, the Ladyjacks got an RBI double down the left field line from senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro (Orange, Texas). Brown scored on the first hit of the half inning, making it 5-4 with runners on first and second and just one out. Landry then took a 2-1 count and knocked through a two RBI single up the middle for the walk-off hit.
"I thought our kids were really mentally tough," commented Dickson. "Makayla Sikes threw one heck of a game. She had one miss pitch, and I don't even think it was a bad pitch, the girl just hit a good pitch. I feel like we could have scored earlier, I think we left some runners on base so we had our moments. I would like our team to come out and make adjustments sooner."
"Overall, a great weekend," Dickson added. "We had a little bit of everything, from playing from behind, to a run rule, to extra innings. Going into next weekend we should be prepared for everything."
Novegil finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk, while Landry was 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Thompson also went 2-for-4 with a RBI and scored once. Sikes (7-5) earned her team-best fourth complete game win of the season, going all nine innings and striking out 11 of the 38 batters she faced.
A&M-Corpus Christi's Dunn was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a walk as left fielder Keagan Helson went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Right-hander Ashley Smith (2-7) went the distance for the Islanders in the circle, walking two and giving up just one earned run in the loss.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will now travel to Prairie View, Texas, Wednesday, March 14 for a 3 p.m. non-conference tilt with Prairie View A&M. The game will serve as the opener to a nine-game road trip for SFA with the Ladyjacks heading down to Thibodaux, Louisiana, next weekend for a three-game Southland series at Nicholls.
For all weather-related SFA softball schedule changes throughout the 2018 spring season, be sure to keep an eye on SFAJacks.com and follow SFA softball on Facebook (SFA Softball) and Twitter (@SFA_Softball).
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball throughout the season.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sikes, Makayla (7-5)
L: Ashley Smith (2-7)
Batting:
HR: Whitney Wendel 1
RBI: Whitney Wendel 4 ; Kaylon Dunn 1
SH: Kaylee Hoppens 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitney Wendel 1 ; Keagan Helson 1 ; Kaylee Hoppens 1 ; Kandace Johnson 1 ; Destiney Diaz 1
SB: Keagan Helson 1
CS: Kayla Sheridan 1
Batting:
2B: Fraccastoro, Taylor 1
RBI: Holloway, Autumn 1 ; Fraccastoro, Taylor 1 ; Landry, Amber 2 ; Thompson, Katherine 1 ; Brown, Courtney 1
SH: Holloway, Autumn 1 ; Kendzior, Triniti 1 ; Becker, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Holloway, Autumn 1 ; Fraccastoro, Taylor 1 ; Landry, Amber 1 ; Thompson, Katherine 1 ; Evans, Emily 1 ; Brown, Courtney 1
HBP: Holloway, Autumn 1 ; Kendzior, Triniti 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC/UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballUTIL
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