Wilbur’s 15 K’s Lead SFA to 6-2 Victory over Valparaiso in Season Opener

Friday, February 8

Starkville, Miss.

10 a.m.

Stephen F. Austin

1-0

Valparaiso University

0-1

Valparaiso

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Wilbur’s 15 K’s Lead SFA to 6-2 Victory over Valparaiso in Season Opener

2/8/2019 2:21:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Ladyjack freshman pitcher sets program record for most strikeouts in a SFA debut, Brittany Crawford and Lindsay Gregory tally two RBI each

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

SFA (1-0) at No. 24/RV Mississippi State (0-0)
Friday, Feb. 8 | 5:30 p.m. | Nusz Park | Starkville, Miss.
SEC Network+ | Live Stats

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Freshman right-handed pitcher Kassidy Wilbur set the program record for most strikeouts in a Ladyjack debut and the SFA softball team cruised to a 6-2 season opening win over Valparaiso Friday morning at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Mississippi. Wilbur dialed up 15 strikeouts for the most by a Ladyjack pitcher in a single game since at least 2013 and SFA scored a trio of runs in both the first and sixth innings to top the Crusaders.

Redshirt sophomore center fielder Brittany Crawford and junior North Texas transfer third baseman Lindsay Gregory each collected a pair of RBI in the game that saw 11 combined hits.

Valparaiso's Taylor Herschbach hit a two-out sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the first inning to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead but the Ladyjacks scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to make it a 3-1 game. Following a single by sophomore second baseman Bryana Novegil and a walk, Gregory knocked in an RBI single to right field before Crawford connected on an RBI single through the left side. SFA scored its third run with two outs in the inning when Wilbur singled through the right side to score Gregory.

For four-straight innings Wilbur dealt, striking out 10 batters and retiring 12 straight. From the end of the first inning to the beginning of the sixth, Wilbur retired 15 consecutive batters.

A two-out Ladyjack fielding error in the top of the sixth broke the four-inning scoring drought and made it a one-run game at 3-2 as Valparaiso's Morgan Matalin scored the Crusader's second unearned run of the game on the miscue. SFA would tack on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth as senior pinch runner Courtney Brown scored on a wild pitch with one out, before Gregory and Crawford earned RBI walks with freshman left fielder Alex Hedspeth and Novegil crossing home plate.

Valparaiso got a double and a single in the top of the seventh but a pair of Wilbur strikeouts and a pop up ended the Crusaders' chances.

Wilbur (1-0) earned her first career complete game win with zero earned runs and only one walk in facing 28 batters. Novegil, Crawford, Gregory, Wilbur, redshirt sophomore Tyler Junior College transfer pinch hitter Tommi Goodman and senior shortstop Emily Wolfe each recorded a hit in the contest.

Starting left-handed pitcher Jenna Edwards (0-1) took the loss for Valparaiso after giving up five hits and three earned runs, while striking out five, in four innings of work.

Up Next…
The Ladyjacks return to the diamond at 5:30 p.m. Friday to face Bulldog Kickoff Classic host and 24th-ranked Mississippi State. The game will be streamed live on the SEC Network+ with live statistics available through HailState.com.

Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball throughout the 2019 season.

-SFA-