Friday, March 16
Thibodaux, LA.
5 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
at
Nicholls
Softball Travels to Nicholls for First Southland Road Series of Season
3/15/2018 2:18:00 PM | Softball
Ladyjacks look to extend six-game win streak and remain undefeated in league play with three-game set in Thibodaux, Louisiana
Stephen F. Austin (14-9, 3-0 Southland) at Nicholls (16-7, 3-0 Southland)
Friday, March 16 | 6 p.m. | Colonel Softball Complex | Thibodaux, La.
Saturday, March 17 | 1 p.m. | Colonel Softball Complex | Thibodaux, La.
Saturday, March 17 | 3 p.m. | Colonel Softball Complex | Thibodaux, La.
Live Stats
Friday, March 16 | 6 p.m. | Colonel Softball Complex | Thibodaux, La.
Saturday, March 17 | 1 p.m. | Colonel Softball Complex | Thibodaux, La.
Saturday, March 17 | 3 p.m. | Colonel Softball Complex | Thibodaux, La.
Live Stats
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – For the first time in 2018, the Stephen F. Austin softball team will be playing Southland Conference games away from the comforts of SFA Softball Field as the Ladyjacks take on Nicholls in a trio of games this weekend in Thibodaux, Louisiana. SFA will play a primetime game against the Colonels Friday, March 16 at 6 p.m., before facing Nicholls in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 17. Live statistics of the weekend Southland series can be followed online via GeauxColonels.com.
The Ladyjacks (14-9, 3-0 Southland) picked up their sixth-consecutive victory Tuesday in a midweek non-conference contest at Prairie View A&M, earning SFA's second road win of the season by a final count of 6-2. Lining eight hits in the game, the Ladyjacks got a 3-for-4, four RBI performance from senior Amber Landry (Ponchatoula, La.), who collected her team-best seventh home run of the season on a three-run bomb in the top of the third inning. The duo of underclassmen pitchers, true freshman Clarissa Hernandez (San Antonio, Texas) and sophomore Jordan Llinas (Houston, Texas), had stellar outings in the circle. Hernandez made her inaugural collegiate start and earned her first career win by going four innings deep and recording a trio of strikeouts, while Llinas tossed three innings in relief and retired six straight to end the game.
Currently on their longest winning streak since the 2015 season, the Ladyjacks began Southland play this past weekend with their first conference series sweep since April of 2015. SFA defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in all three games, including two in comeback fashion. The Ladyjacks trailed 3-0 in game one of the series before using a three-run fifth frame to pick up a 5-4 victory. After a 10-0 triumph in five innings in game two, SFA's first run-rule Southland win in three seasons, the Ladyjacks claimed a 6-5 victory in nine innings for the series finale. Knotted up at 1-1 after the regularly scheduled seven innings of play, the Islanders knocked out a grand slam in the top of the ninth to take a 5-1 lead. Down but not out, SFA scored five unearned runs in the bottom ninth, including a two RBI walk-off single up the middle off the bat of Landry with just one out.
Picked to finish eighth in the Southland according to the preseason poll, the Ladyjacks are currently tied for first place with Nicholls, Northwestern State, Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State. All owning an unblemished 3-0 conference record through the first week of league play.
With offensive efficiency in question heading into the 2018 season, SFA has proven its offense through 23 games played. The Ladyjacks have outscored their opposition 111 runs to 83 and are a perfect 10-0 when scoring six or more runs.
Freshman sensation second baseman Bryana Novegil (Houston, Texas) has been a big reason why SFA has been proficient offensively as she owns the fifth-best hitting average in the nation and is tops in the Southland at .525. With a team-best 32 hits and 14 walks, Novegil has the nation's second-highest on-base percentage at .633 and is sixth nationally in triple with four.
Landry's .364 batting average and .688 slugging mark is a large part of how the Ladyjacks are hitting .271 as a team with a slugging average of .426. The senior's seven homers this season are the most by any player in the Southland and rank her 31st nationally in that category.
With a team earned run average of 2.93, SFA's pitching staff has had standout performances from each of its throwers. Senior right-hander Makayla Sikes (Gilmer, Texas) has been the Ladyjacks' work horse, owning a 7-5 record in 58 and 1/3 innings pitched. She has tallied a team-best 46 strikeouts and is holding opponents to batting .250 with four complete game wins.
NICHOLLS – COLONELS
· Record: 16-7, 3-0 Southland
· The Colonels have claimed a league-best tying 16 wins this season and have the best winning percentage of any team in the conference (.696).
· Nicholls was picked to finish in a tie for second in the preseason Southland poll after finishing third in the league in 2017 with a 19-8 conference record. The Colonels earned the second-most wins (37) in the league last season as Nicholls was the Southland's runner-up after falling to champion McNeese 8-0 (5) in the title game of the tournament.
· The Colonels have gone 13-7 in non-conference affairs this season and swept the Huskies of Houston Baptist last weekend to open up Southland play. Nicholls outscored the Huskies 19-7 in the road series sweep and is currently on a seven-game winning streak after earning a doubleheader win over Mississippi Valley State Tuesday and taking both games at North Texas two weekends ago. During the win streak, the Colonels have outscored their opposition 52-18 over the seven games.
· Batting a Southland-best .303 as a team, six different Nicholls players are hitting at a clip of .300 or better led by preseason All-Southland First Team first baseman Kasey Frederick, who owns a .371 average through 23 games. Preseason junior shortstop Amanda Gianelloni (.370), sophomore third baseman Samantha Dares (.362), preseason All-Southland First Team outfielder Samantha Mracich (.347), junior catcher Kali Clement (.333) and freshman designated player Yasmeen Williams (.333) are also batting over .300 as the Colonels' top hitters.
· Nicholls has been equally strong in the circle with a pitching staff that boasts an ERA of 2.33. Preseason All-Southland First Team junior pitcher Megan Landry has claimed a league-best 10 wins, which is 10th-best among all NCAA Division I pitchers, and owns a 10-3 record. Landry has also earned a Southland-best three saves this season to rank 11th nationally in that category. She has struck out 65 batters, third-most in the conference, in 73 and 2/3 innings pitched and possesses a 1.90 ERA.
· The Colonels are 2-0 in Thibodaux this season with their first home games take place just this week against Mississippi Valley State.
· SFA went 1-2 against Nicholls last year in Nacogdoches and is 20-12 against the Colonels over the last 10 seasons. The Ladyjacks last series win over Nicholls took place in 2014 when SFA swept the Colonels 3-0 at SFA Softball Field.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks continue their nine-game road trip next week and step out of league action when SFA takes on Texas Southern in Houston for a midweek tilt Tuesday, March 20 at 2 p.m. Lamar awaits the Ladyjacks next weekend, Friday and Saturday, March 23-24, for a three-game set in Beaumont, Texas.
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-
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