Ladyjacks Advance in Southland Tournament after 6-1 Elimination of Northwestern State

Wednesday, May 8

Natchitoches, La.

4 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

35-20

#6 Northwestern State

30-27

Northwestern State

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Ladyjacks Advance in Southland Tournament after 6-1 Elimination of Northwestern State

5/9/2019 5:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

SFA overcomes nearly 22-hour game suspension due to inclement weather, gets three RBI from freshman catcher Mackenzie Bennett

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

NATCHITOCHES, La. – After a nearly 22-hour suspension of play due to late-night heavy thunderstorms and saturated field conditions at Lady Demon Diamond in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the SFA softball team erased a 1-0 deficit and scored six runs Thursday afternoon to eliminate sixth-seeded Northwestern State in the 2019 Southland Conference Softball Tournament. The Ladyjacks (35-20) used a two-run third inning and a three-run fifth and got three RBI from freshman catcher Mackenzie Bennett to derail the tournament host Lady Demons (30-27).

"Adjustments won that game," head coach Nicole Dickson said following the postseason triumph. "We had a plan, we made adjustments and we executed. (Kassidy) Wilbur was flawless and confident inside the circle. Seniors (Margarita) Corona, (Emily) Wolfe and (Lauren) Becker set the tone and our underclassmen talent was shown with Wilbur, Bennett, (Cassidy) Tucker and (Alex) Hedspeth all finding ways to help their team today. Also, thank you to my staff for working together to make adjustments and prepare our team today with the lengthy weather delay."

Before the weather suspension of the affair late Wednesday afternoon, SFA trailed 1-0 despite having an ample opportunity to score in the bottom of the opening inning. The Ladyjacks loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first inning after getting a pair of hit-by-pitches, a sacrifice bunt and a walk, but were unable to drive anybody across home plate.

Northwestern State took the advantage in the top of the second when Lady Demon left fielder Kaitlyn St. Clair led off the inning with a solo home run over the left field wall. The over 21.5-hour weather delay began before 5 p.m. Wednesday with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the third inning with senior first baseman Margarita Corona due up.

After junior right-handed starter Ashley Kriesel tossed the opening two and 1/3 innings, freshman righty reliever Kassidy Wilbur entered the game Wednesday in the top of the third. She would allow just one hit in the top of the seventh as she needed just 71 pitches to complete the game Thursday, collecting four strikeouts and walking just two in the process.

After Corona began the resumption of tournament play Thursday afternoon with a walk, Bennett took a 3-1 pitch over the left center field wall for her third home run of the season. Bennett's two-run shot giving SFA its first lead of the Southland Tournament at 2-1.

With Wilbur in control on the rubber, the Ladyjacks increased their lead to 5-1 with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth. A two-out walk drawn by sophomore designated player Bryana Novegil led to a Corona walk before Bennett stepped to the plate and drove in Novegil on a RBI double to the right field wall. Following freshman right fielder Alex Hedspeth being hit by a pitch, senior third baseman Lauren Becker singled up the middle for two RBI.

Northwestern State would remain hitless Thursday in the top of the sixth as SFA built a commanding 6-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Freshman pinch hitter Cassidy Tucker connected on a one-out single to the shortstop and junior second baseman Lindsay Gregory was walked before Novegil reached on a fielder's choice. Corona then drove in the Ladyjacks' final run of the game with a single to center field as senior shortstop Emily Wolfe tagged home plate.

The Lady Demons got a two-out single in the top of the final inning but Wilbur retired three of four batters to advance SFA.

Bennett finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and a run scored, while Becker was 1-for-3 with her two RBI. Wilbur (20-14) notched her 20th win of the season after going four and 2/3 innings in relief. Kriesel struck out four Wednesday afternoon.

Held to four combined hits, Northwestern State was led by St. Clair's 1-for-2, one RBI, one run scored, one walk performance at the plate. Right-handed starter Mikayla Brown (6-8) took the loss for the Lady Demons after allowing a pair of hits and five earned runs in four and 2/3 innings with just two strikeouts and four walks. Reliever E.C. Delafield closed out the remaining one and 1/3 innings with one strikeout, one walk and three hits allowed.

Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will take on third-seeded McNeese (29-29) Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., or 30 minutes following the completion of top-seeded Sam Houston State versus second-seeded Nicholls, in the Southland Tournament's back draw semifinal.

Thursday evening's back draw semifinal tilt of the Southland Tournament will be streamed live online via the Southland Digital Network and through the Southland app, available on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV and Amazon Fire. Live statistics of the game can be followed via Southland.org. As usual, in-game updates will be made available via SFA softball's Twitter account, @SFA_Softball.

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

-SFA-