Sunday, April 15
Houston, Texas
2 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
24-17, 0
6
at
1
Houston Baptist
7-26, 0
1
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3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Stephen F. Austin
0
0
2
0
0
1
3
6
7
1
Houston Baptist
0
0
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0
1
0
0
1
8
4
Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography
Ladyjacks Complete Sweep of Houston Baptist with 6-1 Win Sunday
4/15/2018 4:52:00 PM | Softball
Softball earns second Southland series sweep of season by scoring six runs on seven hits and four Husky errors in series finale
HOUSTON – After securing their fourth-straight and fifth Southland Conference series win of 2018 Saturday, the Stephen F. Austin softball team completed its second series sweep in league play by earning a 6-1 road win at Houston Baptist Sunday afternoon. The Ladyjacks, who improved to 24-17 overall and 12-6 in the Southland with the game three victory at Husky Field in Houston, find themselves in a four-way tie for first place in the conference standings.
SFA lined seven hits in the sunny, yet breezy, Sunday afternoon affair and benefited off of four HBU errors. The host Huskies (7-26, 4-14 Southland) laced eight his in the contest but other than a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning, none others proved to be costly.
The Ladyjacks got a two-run bomb from senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro, her second home run of the weekend and seventh of the season, in the top of the third and a solo shot over the left field wall from junior first baseman Margarita Corona in the top of the sixth. A trio of insurance runs aided by HBU miscues were then scored by SFA in the top of the seventh.
"I think it's great momentum going into the next three series," head coach Nicole Dickson said following the series sweep. "This upcoming weekend at Incarnate Word is going to be a big series as well and any time you can go on the road and win a series, let alone sweep a series, it's huge."
"We just keep getting better," coach Dickson continued. "I thought HBU's Jessica Patak did an excellent job, she kept us off balance and our hitters had to stay really mentally tough and locked in. We found ways though and I though the bottom of our lineup did a really good job. Bryana Novegil found ways to get on base and Taylor Fraccastoro made some really good adjustments and had some quality at bats today. I felt like Fraccastoro and Autumn Holloway were definitely our players of the series. We're just playing hard, not taking things for granted, and good things are happening."
After two scoreless innings of play, freshman second baseman Bryana Novegil reached on a one-out Husky error and advanced to second base in the top of the third. Fraccastoro then stepped to the plate and rocked a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall for two runs, giving the Ladyjacks a 2-0 lead.
A two-hit bottom fifth inning got the home team within a run at 2-1 following an Amber Lotz double to left field and an Alyssa De Los Santos RBI single down the right field line, which scored Lotz. De Los Santos was thrown out on the play before senior right-handed pitcher Makayla Sikes forced a ground out and a pop up to end the inning without any further damage.
Corona gave SFA a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth as she led off the inning with her seven homer of the season. HBU had opportunities to score in the bottom of the frame after leading off with a double and then a single. The Huskies placed runners in the corners with two outs but Sikes dialed up her third strikeout of the afternoon to get the Ladyjacks to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, SFA loaded the bases with just one out following a pair of walks and a Novegil single through the right side. Senior third baseman Amber Landry reached on a fielder's choice for an RBI as sophomore center fielder Madison Clements scored, before Novegil reached home for an unearned run on the play off of a HBU throwing error. The Husky mistake giving the Ladyjacks a commanding 5-1 advantage. Moments later, senior right fielder Autumn Holloway reached on a HBU fielding error, allowing Fraccastoro to score the Ladyjacks' sixth and final run of the game in unearned fashion.
The Huskies would begin the bottom of the seventh with a pair of singles from Lotz and De Los Santos as senior righty Callee Guffey stepped into the circle in relief of Sikes. After two fly outs, HBU loaded the bases with a walk but Guffey forced a pop up to end the game.
Novegil finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Fraccastoro went 1-for-2 with two RBI, two walks and two runs. Corona was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored. Sikes (15-6) notched her 15th win of the season inside the circle with a trio of strikeouts and Guffey tossed one inning of relief, retiring three of four batters faced.
Husky second baseman Lotz went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored as shortstop Demi Janak was 2-for-2 and had a pair of walks. HBU designated player De Los Santos finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Right-handed pitcher Jessica Patak (4-15) took the loss on the rubber after going six and 1/3 innings and registering four strikeouts.
The five Southland series wins by SFA this season are the most for the program since 2010, when the Ladyjacks clinched eight conference series en route to their lone regular season Southland title. SFA is off to its best start in league play in over eight years as the Ladyjacks went 13-5 to begin conference action during the 2010 season.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will continue their six-game road trip next weekend when they travel to San Antonio, Texas, to face the Cardinals of Incarnate Word in a three-game series Friday and Saturday, April 20-21. SFA will play a 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. doubleheader Friday, April 20, before taking on the Cardinals in a single game Saturday, April 21 at 12 p.m.
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-
SFA lined seven hits in the sunny, yet breezy, Sunday afternoon affair and benefited off of four HBU errors. The host Huskies (7-26, 4-14 Southland) laced eight his in the contest but other than a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning, none others proved to be costly.
The Ladyjacks got a two-run bomb from senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro, her second home run of the weekend and seventh of the season, in the top of the third and a solo shot over the left field wall from junior first baseman Margarita Corona in the top of the sixth. A trio of insurance runs aided by HBU miscues were then scored by SFA in the top of the seventh.
"I think it's great momentum going into the next three series," head coach Nicole Dickson said following the series sweep. "This upcoming weekend at Incarnate Word is going to be a big series as well and any time you can go on the road and win a series, let alone sweep a series, it's huge."
"We just keep getting better," coach Dickson continued. "I thought HBU's Jessica Patak did an excellent job, she kept us off balance and our hitters had to stay really mentally tough and locked in. We found ways though and I though the bottom of our lineup did a really good job. Bryana Novegil found ways to get on base and Taylor Fraccastoro made some really good adjustments and had some quality at bats today. I felt like Fraccastoro and Autumn Holloway were definitely our players of the series. We're just playing hard, not taking things for granted, and good things are happening."
After two scoreless innings of play, freshman second baseman Bryana Novegil reached on a one-out Husky error and advanced to second base in the top of the third. Fraccastoro then stepped to the plate and rocked a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall for two runs, giving the Ladyjacks a 2-0 lead.
A two-hit bottom fifth inning got the home team within a run at 2-1 following an Amber Lotz double to left field and an Alyssa De Los Santos RBI single down the right field line, which scored Lotz. De Los Santos was thrown out on the play before senior right-handed pitcher Makayla Sikes forced a ground out and a pop up to end the inning without any further damage.
Corona gave SFA a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth as she led off the inning with her seven homer of the season. HBU had opportunities to score in the bottom of the frame after leading off with a double and then a single. The Huskies placed runners in the corners with two outs but Sikes dialed up her third strikeout of the afternoon to get the Ladyjacks to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, SFA loaded the bases with just one out following a pair of walks and a Novegil single through the right side. Senior third baseman Amber Landry reached on a fielder's choice for an RBI as sophomore center fielder Madison Clements scored, before Novegil reached home for an unearned run on the play off of a HBU throwing error. The Husky mistake giving the Ladyjacks a commanding 5-1 advantage. Moments later, senior right fielder Autumn Holloway reached on a HBU fielding error, allowing Fraccastoro to score the Ladyjacks' sixth and final run of the game in unearned fashion.
The Huskies would begin the bottom of the seventh with a pair of singles from Lotz and De Los Santos as senior righty Callee Guffey stepped into the circle in relief of Sikes. After two fly outs, HBU loaded the bases with a walk but Guffey forced a pop up to end the game.
Novegil finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Fraccastoro went 1-for-2 with two RBI, two walks and two runs. Corona was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored. Sikes (15-6) notched her 15th win of the season inside the circle with a trio of strikeouts and Guffey tossed one inning of relief, retiring three of four batters faced.
Husky second baseman Lotz went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored as shortstop Demi Janak was 2-for-2 and had a pair of walks. HBU designated player De Los Santos finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Right-handed pitcher Jessica Patak (4-15) took the loss on the rubber after going six and 1/3 innings and registering four strikeouts.
The five Southland series wins by SFA this season are the most for the program since 2010, when the Ladyjacks clinched eight conference series en route to their lone regular season Southland title. SFA is off to its best start in league play in over eight years as the Ladyjacks went 13-5 to begin conference action during the 2010 season.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will continue their six-game road trip next weekend when they travel to San Antonio, Texas, to face the Cardinals of Incarnate Word in a three-game series Friday and Saturday, April 20-21. SFA will play a 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. doubleheader Friday, April 20, before taking on the Cardinals in a single game Saturday, April 21 at 12 p.m.
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 (15-6)
L: Patak, Jessica (4-15)
Batting:
HR: Fraccastoro, Taylor 1 ; Corona, Margarita 1
RBI: Fraccastoro, Taylor 2 ; Landry, Amber 1 ; Corona, Margarita 1 ; Holloway, Autumn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Novegil, Bryana 2 ; Fraccastoro, Taylor 2 ; Corona, Margarita 1 ; Clements, Madison 1
Batting:
2B: Janak, Demi 1 ; Lotz, Amber 1
RBI: De Los Santos, Alys 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lotz, Amber 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
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2
RBI
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AB
2
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2
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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