Wednesday, February 20
Nacogdoches, Texas
4 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Texas Southern
Photo by: SFA Athletics
Ladyjacks Welcome Texas Southern for Midweek Matchup at SFA Softball Field
2/19/2019 7:59:00 PM | Softball
SFA seeks second-straight midweek home victory Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Texas Southern (0-3) at SFA (8-3)
Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 3 p.m. | SFA Softball Field | Nacogdoches, Texas
Facebook LIVE | Live Stats
Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 3 p.m. | SFA Softball Field | Nacogdoches, Texas
Facebook LIVE | Live Stats
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – After a 24-hour postponement due to heavy rainfall and brief thunderstorms in Texas' oldest town Tuesday, the SFA softball team will return to the diamond Wednesday afternoon for a midweek bout with the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Texas Southern. First pitch from the SFA Softball Field is slated for 3 p.m. as the Ladyjacks (8-3) seek their second-straight midweek home victory.
The Wednesday affair will be streamed everywhere on Facebook LIVE via SFA softball's Facebook page, while in-game statistics can be followed at SFAJacks.com.
The Lady Tigers (0-3) visit Nacogdoches as SFA's second home opponent of the 2019 schedule. The Ladyjacks shut out the University of Louisiana at Monroe in their home opener last Wednesday (Feb. 20), 4-0, behind 11 strikeouts from junior Galveston College transfer right-hander Ashley Kriesel and a three-run home run by senior first baseman Margarita Corona.
Over the weekend, SFA wrapped up a three-day, five-game tournament in Lafayette, Louisiana, where the Ladyjacks posted a 3-2 record and reached the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's 33rd Annual Louisiana Classic title game. Reaching its second-straight tournament championship game in as many weekends, SFA defeated Austin Peay (5-1) and took two games from Jackson State (7-3 and 13-2 (5)).
Playing perhaps the toughest non-conference schedule in the Southland Conference and one of the most challenging in all of Division I softball, the Ladyjacks have been able to claim eight victories already in just 11 games. SFA's only losses on the season have come against nationally-ranked opponents with the Ladyjacks owning a top-25 win. On Feb. 10, SFA defeated then 24th-ranked Mississippi State (1-0) in Starkville, Mississippi, to capture the 2019 Bulldog Kickoff Classic championship.
Kriesel had a fantastic week inside the circle this past week, going 2-0 with a 0.88 earned run average and 30 strikeouts in 16 full innings of work. After striking out 11 batters in the Ladyjacks' shutout of Louisiana-Monroe, Kriesel tossed two hitless innings in relief during SFA's 7-3 win over Jackson State as she struck out six in order. She didn't stop there, throwing a no-hitter in the Ladyjacks' 13-2, run-rule rout of Jackson State this past Saturday evening. In that contest, Kriesel recorded a strikeout in 13 of SFA's 15 defensive outs and had a streak of 12 consecutive strikeouts spanning between the two wins over Jackson State.
The Ladyjack pitching staff as a whole has been impressive for SFA so far this season, owning the top strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84) in the Southland and ranking among the nation's top 40 teams in that category. With a 1.77 team ERA, SFA ranks second in the league and 31st in the country as Kriesel and freshman righty Kassidy Wilbur both rank within the top 30 nationally in strikeouts. Wilbur's 45 strikeouts on the year are the ninth-most in the country, while Kriesel's 35 are the 26th-most.
The bats came alive for the Ladyjacks over the past weekend as well with SFA tallying four home runs across five games. Redshirt sophomore centerfielder Brittany Crawford, who leads the team with a .444 batting average among those who have played all 11 games, rocked two long balls in Lafayette for her first home runs of her career. Freshman outfielder Alex Hedspeth, who leads the team with 10 RBI, launched her first collegiate homer with a deep shot in the 7-3 win over Jackson State, while North Texas transfer third baseman Lindsay Gregory claimed her first home run donning the Purple and White with a grand slam in the 13-2, five-inning victory against Jackson State.
About Texas Southern
2019 Record | 0-3, 0-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference
• Picked in a tie to finish atop the SWAC Western Division with nine first-place votes after winning four of the last six regular season SWAC championships, including the league title in 2018.
• The Tigers placed five on the All-SWAC Preseason First and Second Teams with senior catcher Marissa Padron claiming a spot on the first team. Sophomore second baseman Ebony Wiltz, sophomore outfielders Tevanae Tate and Julia Bilbao and senior right-handed pitcher Tyra Williams were all preseason all-conference second team picks.
• Wednesday's tilt will serve as Texas Southern's third consecutive Southland opponent after opening up the season with a trio of games at conference adversaries Sam Houston State and Houston Baptist. Last Wednesday, the Lady Tigers dropped a 7-2 decision to the Bearkats, before being swept in a doubleheader at Houston Baptist Saturday (6-2 and 4-2).
• The Ladyjacks defeated Texas Southern in both meetings a year ago, including a 9-0, run-rule triumph on May 1, 2018, as SFA's final non-conference home game of the season and a 12-5 victory in Houston earlier in the spring.
• SFA is 8-1 against the Lady Tigers over the last 11 seasons.
Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will hit the road once again this weekend, taking on their third tournament of the season by participating in South Alabama's Mardi Gras Invitational, held Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24 in Mobile, Alabama. SFA will see host South Alabama twice, in addition to the Big Ten Conference's Illinois and Hofstra.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball throughout the 2019 season.
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