Saturday, March 17
Thibodaux, LA.
1 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
14-12, 0
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Nicholls
19-7, 0
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Stephen F. Austin
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Nicholls
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Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography
Nicholls Hands Ladyjacks Third-Straight One-Run Loss
3/17/2018 3:59:00 PM | Softball
SFA falls 3-2 in road series finale with Colonels, despite late comeback effort
THIBODAUX, La. – After being edged in a pair of one-run games after walk-off doubles in Friday's doubleheader at Nicholls, the Stephen F. Austin softball team suffered a similar cruel fate in Saturday's series finale. Not a walk-off but a one-run, 3-2 loss at the hands of the Colonels (19-7, 6-0 Southland) at the Colonel Softball Complex in Thibodaux, Louisiana, made it three-straight narrow defeats for the Ladyjacks (14-12, 3-3 Southland) in their Southland Conference road series.
The two squads combined for 15 hits Saturday afternoon with Nicholls jumping out to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning of play. Trailing 3-1 heading into the final inning, SFA would make a comeback attempt but could not muster more than a run in the top of the seventh inning to make the 3-2 score go final.
"The girls played hard," head coach Nicole Dickson said after Saturday's game. "We fought for three games and got better as a team during this series even though the results don't reflect that. There are a lot of positives going into next week. I'm really proud of how hard we played all weekend. That's one of the top two teams in the Southland and we threatened every game and showed we are contenders."
The Ladyjacks lined seven hits but collected just one RBI in the contest and left 10 base runners stranded. Meanwhile, the Colonels claimed eight hits and scored on a RBI double and a two RBI triple in the first and fifth innings, respectively.
Following a pair of walks and a sacrifice bunt, Nicholls got a two-run triple from left fielder Kasey Frederick in the bottom of the opening inning to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. After two full scoreless innings of play SFA got its first score of the day in the top of the fourth, making it a one-run game at 2-1. Loading the bases with two singles and a walk, sophomore pinch runner Carley Ruffino (Cypress, Texas) reached home on a Colonel wild pitch.
Another RBI hit by Frederick, this time a one-run double to right center field, in the bottom of the fifth gave Nicholls a two-run lead once again at 3-1.
The Ladyjacks got two on in the top of the sixth following a pair of Colonel errors but couldn't capitalize on the miscues before the third out. SFA had one more chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh and led off the frame with freshman second baseman Bryana Novegil (Houston, Texas) singling to the shortstop. After two base-advancing groundouts senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro (Orange, Texas) single to center field for an RBI, allowing Novegil to score and making it a 3-2 game. Junior first baseman Margarita Corona (Tucson, Ariz.) singled to left field on the next at bat but a groundout ended the game with runners on first and second.
Both Novegil and Corona finished the game 2-for-4 from the dish, while senior Callee Guffey (Waco, Texas) (4-5) took the loss in the circle after tossing all six innings and striking out five.
Nicholls' leadoff center fielder Kelsey Miller went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk as both Frederick and first baseman Gretchen Morgan went 2-for-3. Frederick accounted for all three of the Colonels' RBI. Right-hander Alexis LaBure (5-3) picked up the win on the rubber after striking out four in three and 2/3 innings of relief.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks step out of league play Tuesday, March 20 but continue their nine-game road trip with a single game at the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Texas Southern. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. SFA will then spend the weekend in Beaumont, Texas, for a three-game series at Southland foe Lamar Friday and Saturday, March 23-24.
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-
The two squads combined for 15 hits Saturday afternoon with Nicholls jumping out to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning of play. Trailing 3-1 heading into the final inning, SFA would make a comeback attempt but could not muster more than a run in the top of the seventh inning to make the 3-2 score go final.
"The girls played hard," head coach Nicole Dickson said after Saturday's game. "We fought for three games and got better as a team during this series even though the results don't reflect that. There are a lot of positives going into next week. I'm really proud of how hard we played all weekend. That's one of the top two teams in the Southland and we threatened every game and showed we are contenders."
The Ladyjacks lined seven hits but collected just one RBI in the contest and left 10 base runners stranded. Meanwhile, the Colonels claimed eight hits and scored on a RBI double and a two RBI triple in the first and fifth innings, respectively.
Following a pair of walks and a sacrifice bunt, Nicholls got a two-run triple from left fielder Kasey Frederick in the bottom of the opening inning to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. After two full scoreless innings of play SFA got its first score of the day in the top of the fourth, making it a one-run game at 2-1. Loading the bases with two singles and a walk, sophomore pinch runner Carley Ruffino (Cypress, Texas) reached home on a Colonel wild pitch.
Another RBI hit by Frederick, this time a one-run double to right center field, in the bottom of the fifth gave Nicholls a two-run lead once again at 3-1.
The Ladyjacks got two on in the top of the sixth following a pair of Colonel errors but couldn't capitalize on the miscues before the third out. SFA had one more chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh and led off the frame with freshman second baseman Bryana Novegil (Houston, Texas) singling to the shortstop. After two base-advancing groundouts senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro (Orange, Texas) single to center field for an RBI, allowing Novegil to score and making it a 3-2 game. Junior first baseman Margarita Corona (Tucson, Ariz.) singled to left field on the next at bat but a groundout ended the game with runners on first and second.
Both Novegil and Corona finished the game 2-for-4 from the dish, while senior Callee Guffey (Waco, Texas) (4-5) took the loss in the circle after tossing all six innings and striking out five.
Nicholls' leadoff center fielder Kelsey Miller went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk as both Frederick and first baseman Gretchen Morgan went 2-for-3. Frederick accounted for all three of the Colonels' RBI. Right-hander Alexis LaBure (5-3) picked up the win on the rubber after striking out four in three and 2/3 innings of relief.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks step out of league play Tuesday, March 20 but continue their nine-game road trip with a single game at the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Texas Southern. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. SFA will then spend the weekend in Beaumont, Texas, for a three-game series at Southland foe Lamar Friday and Saturday, March 23-24.
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: LaBure, Alexis (5-3)
L: Guffey, Callee (4-5)
Batting:
RBI: Fraccastoro, Taylor 1
SH: Holloway, Autumn 1 ; Evans, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Novegil, Bryana 1 ; Ruffino, Carley 1
Batting:
2B: Frederick, Kasey 1
3B: Frederick, Kasey 1
RBI: Frederick, Kasey 3
SH: Clement, Kali 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Kelsey 2 ; Gianelloni, Amanda 1
CS: Holland, Emma 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF/C
/ SoftballC/UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball2.1.24 | Axe 'Em Insider Ep. 24 x Softball
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SFA Completes Epic Comeback: SFA Softball
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