Friday, March 16
Thibodaux, LA.
5 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
14-10, 0
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Nicholls
17-7, 0
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Stephen F. Austin
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Nicholls
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Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography
Colonels Snap Ladyjacks’ Win Streak, Steal Two from SFA in Road Doubleheader
3/16/2018 11:45:00 PM | Softball
Nicholls takes both games of doubleheader Friday with pair of one-run, walk-off wins
THIBODAUX, La. – A six-game win streak by the Stephen F. Austin softball team came to a halt Friday at the Colonel Softball Complex in Thibodaux, Louisiana, when Nicholls edged the Ladyjacks twice in walk-off fashion. The Colonels stole both games of the Southland Conference road doubleheader, claiming the first 2-1 and the second 4-3. Both games were decided in the bottom of the seventh inning on RBI doubles.
Stiff pitching by Nicholls held SFA to just 11 total hits between the two games as the Colonels tallied 15 of its own. Kept to four runs on the day, the Ladyjacks (14-11, 2-3 Southland) struck out a combined 14 times and were held scoreless in 11 of the 14 innings.
Loss, 2-1 at Nicholls (17-7, 4-0 Southland)
The host Colonels lined eight hits in game one of the doubleheader and preseason All-Southland First Team right-handed pitcher Megan Landry (11-3) dealt nine strikeouts in a complete game win, while giving up just four hits.
After three and a half scoreless innings of ball, Nicholls scored the first run of day in the bottom of the fourth inning and took a 1-0 lead when second baseman Bailey Hughes singled to left field for an RBI.
Despite not being able to get much going behind the plate, the Ladyjakcs tied it up at 1-1 in the top of the seventh when junior first baseman Margarita Corona (Tucson, Ariz.) took a 2-2 pitch yard. Her solo home run over the center field fence came with one out and was Corona's third long ball of the season.
The tie would not last long though as the Colonels claimed what would be their first of two walk-off RBI doubles on the day. Following a walk and a fly out, Nicholls shortstop Amanda Gianelloni doubled to right center field, allowing center fielder Kelsey Miller to score the winning run.
Freshman left fielder Katherine Thompson (Spring, Texas) went 2-for-3 at the plate and Corona finished 1-for-1 with a walk. Senior Callee Guffey (Waco, Texas) (4-4) took the loss in the circle after two and 2/3 innings of relief duty. Making just her second collegiate start, freshman Clarissa Hernandez (San Antonio, Texas) went three and 2/3 innings on the rubber and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
Colonel third baseman Lara Jewel led Nicholls with a 2-for-3, one-run performance and Miller finished 1-for-1 with three walks and a run scored.
Loss, 4-3 at Nicholls (18-7, 5-0 Southland)
Both teams recorded seven hits in game two of the series with the Colonels taking an early lead, before the hot bat of senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro (Orange, Texas) nearly willed SFA to a three-run comeback.
The Ladyjacks found themselves trailing 2-0 following the first inning of play after a SFA error led to a Nicholls run and Colonel first baseman Samantha Dares managed an RBI single through the right side. Two scoreless innings for the Ladyjacks ensued before Gianelloni collected an RBI double to left center field in the bottom third to give the home team a 3-0 advantage.
Not to be outdone, Fraccastoro singled through the left side in the top of the fourth for an RBI, allowing senior right fielder Autumn Holloway (Cypress, Texas) to score SFA's first run of the game. It was then Fraccastoro once again in the top of the sixth who knotted things up at 3-3 with a two-run homer, her fourth of the year, over the left field fence. The Ladyjacks were only able to get one on due to a walk in the top of the seventh, leaving Nicholls to break the tie in the bottom of the frame.
With two outs and a runner on second after a walk and a groundout, the Colonels' Lara doubled to left center field for the walk-off RBI as Gianelloni scored.
Fraccastoro led SFA with a 2-for-3, three RBI performance, while Thompson went 2-for-3 once again. Senior Makayla Sikes (Gilmer, Texas) got the start and went six complete with a trio of strikeouts before Hernandez (1-1) took the loss in the final 2/3 innings on the rubber.
Both Lara and Miller went 2-for-4 at the plate for Nicholls and Gianelloni finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Landry (12-3), the Southland's winningest pitcher this season, claimed her second win of the day after tossing just 2/3 innings in relief.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks wrap up their three-game series at Nicholls Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch, before continuing their nine-game road trip Tuesday, March 20 in a non-conference affair at Texas Southern.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball throughout the season.
-SFA-
Stiff pitching by Nicholls held SFA to just 11 total hits between the two games as the Colonels tallied 15 of its own. Kept to four runs on the day, the Ladyjacks (14-11, 2-3 Southland) struck out a combined 14 times and were held scoreless in 11 of the 14 innings.
Loss, 2-1 at Nicholls (17-7, 4-0 Southland)
The host Colonels lined eight hits in game one of the doubleheader and preseason All-Southland First Team right-handed pitcher Megan Landry (11-3) dealt nine strikeouts in a complete game win, while giving up just four hits.
After three and a half scoreless innings of ball, Nicholls scored the first run of day in the bottom of the fourth inning and took a 1-0 lead when second baseman Bailey Hughes singled to left field for an RBI.
Despite not being able to get much going behind the plate, the Ladyjakcs tied it up at 1-1 in the top of the seventh when junior first baseman Margarita Corona (Tucson, Ariz.) took a 2-2 pitch yard. Her solo home run over the center field fence came with one out and was Corona's third long ball of the season.
The tie would not last long though as the Colonels claimed what would be their first of two walk-off RBI doubles on the day. Following a walk and a fly out, Nicholls shortstop Amanda Gianelloni doubled to right center field, allowing center fielder Kelsey Miller to score the winning run.
Freshman left fielder Katherine Thompson (Spring, Texas) went 2-for-3 at the plate and Corona finished 1-for-1 with a walk. Senior Callee Guffey (Waco, Texas) (4-4) took the loss in the circle after two and 2/3 innings of relief duty. Making just her second collegiate start, freshman Clarissa Hernandez (San Antonio, Texas) went three and 2/3 innings on the rubber and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
Colonel third baseman Lara Jewel led Nicholls with a 2-for-3, one-run performance and Miller finished 1-for-1 with three walks and a run scored.
Loss, 4-3 at Nicholls (18-7, 5-0 Southland)
Both teams recorded seven hits in game two of the series with the Colonels taking an early lead, before the hot bat of senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro (Orange, Texas) nearly willed SFA to a three-run comeback.
The Ladyjacks found themselves trailing 2-0 following the first inning of play after a SFA error led to a Nicholls run and Colonel first baseman Samantha Dares managed an RBI single through the right side. Two scoreless innings for the Ladyjacks ensued before Gianelloni collected an RBI double to left center field in the bottom third to give the home team a 3-0 advantage.
Not to be outdone, Fraccastoro singled through the left side in the top of the fourth for an RBI, allowing senior right fielder Autumn Holloway (Cypress, Texas) to score SFA's first run of the game. It was then Fraccastoro once again in the top of the sixth who knotted things up at 3-3 with a two-run homer, her fourth of the year, over the left field fence. The Ladyjacks were only able to get one on due to a walk in the top of the seventh, leaving Nicholls to break the tie in the bottom of the frame.
With two outs and a runner on second after a walk and a groundout, the Colonels' Lara doubled to left center field for the walk-off RBI as Gianelloni scored.
Fraccastoro led SFA with a 2-for-3, three RBI performance, while Thompson went 2-for-3 once again. Senior Makayla Sikes (Gilmer, Texas) got the start and went six complete with a trio of strikeouts before Hernandez (1-1) took the loss in the final 2/3 innings on the rubber.
Both Lara and Miller went 2-for-4 at the plate for Nicholls and Gianelloni finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Landry (12-3), the Southland's winningest pitcher this season, claimed her second win of the day after tossing just 2/3 innings in relief.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks wrap up their three-game series at Nicholls Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch, before continuing their nine-game road trip Tuesday, March 20 in a non-conference affair at Texas Southern.
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: Landry, Megan (11-3)
L: Guffey, Callee (4-4)
Batting:
HR: Corona, Margarita 1
RBI: Corona, Margarita 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Corona, Margarita 1
CS: Holloway, Autumn 1
Batting:
2B: Gianelloni, Amanda 1 ; Lara, Jewel 1
RBI: Gianelloni, Amanda 1 ; Hughes, Bailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Kelsey 1 ; Lara, Jewel 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF/C
/ Softball
C/UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball2.1.24 | Axe 'Em Insider Ep. 24 x Softball
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