Lumberjacks Get Set for Midweek Against Warhawks

Tuesday, April 23

Monroe, LA

6:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

University of Louisiana at Monroe

Lumberjacks Get Set for Midweek Against Warhawks

4/22/2024 7:45:00 PM | Softball

By: Peter Trainor, Student Assistant for Strategic Communications

Stephen F. Austin vs. University of Louisiana at Monroe

Date: Tuesday, April 23rd

Times: 6:00 p.m. CST

Live Stream: ESPN+

Stadium: Softball Complex

Series: ULM Leads 14-11

MONROE, La. - The Stephen F. Austin's Softball Team (15-33, 8-12) close out their non-conference schedule for the season when they travel to Louisiana to face-off with the ULM Warhawks (27-20, 9-9) in a midweek evening matchup.

Last Weekend at a Glance for SFA:

The Lumberjacks traveled to Utah and came away with a critical series win over the Utah Valley Wolverines as SFA rallied after dropping the first game of the series in extra innings to win the final two games of the series 4-2 and 1-0 respectively to gain some valuable ground in the WAC standings.

These 'Jacks Can Bat:

Ellie Vance continued to terrorize opposing pitchers in Utah this weekend as she leaves Utah carrying a six-game hitting streak. Even more impressively is the fact that Vance has now recorded a hit in 13 of her last 14 games. Chloe Reneau came through in a big way for SFA this weekend as she leaves Utah holding a three-game hitting streak of her own while recording both a double and a triple over the weekend. Mikaelah Burkland recorded the game-winning run in the rubber match against the Wolverines with her fourth double of the season, while Amiah Galcatcher recorded a pair of singles in the rubber match as well. Kaylee Paul came through with her first collegiate RBI in a big way as she hit a game-tying RBI double in the top of the seventh to tie the game for SFA in an eventual 4-2 win over Utah Valley.

Walk O'Clock:

The Lumberjack lineup has no trouble forcing pitchers to run up their pitch count and layoff some tough pitches as they have recorded 119 walks a team this season, which ranks them third in the WAC this season. So far this season, all 17 Lumberjack hitters that have recorded a walk have recorded multiple walks, while three different 'Jacks have over double-digit walks on the year. Lexi Benson has shown incredible patience in the box this season as she has drawn a team-leading 18 walks, while Mikaelah Burkland and Mallory Webb have formed an equally patient duo as both have 11 walks on the year.

Wheeling and Dealing:

The Lumberjacks continue to boast one of the best pitching rotations in the entire WAC and they only strengthened that argument after the weekend series in Utah. SFA currently sports the third lowest team ERA in the WAC as they hold a 3.66 team era this season and are coming off a weekend series in which they held the Wolverines to three or less runs in every game including a shutout in the series finale. Brooke Gainous has been untouchable her last two outings in the circle as she has now thrown back-to-back complete game shutouts for SFA and has pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings. Alexis Telford has been flashing her usual consistent self as well as she has now allowed three or less earned runs in seven of her last eight starts. Meanwhile, Aydenne Brown has been the workhorse of the rotation as she surpassed the century mark for innings pitched this season as she has now tossed 102.2 innings this season while striking out a team-high 84 hitters this season and has allowed three or less earned runs in five of her last six starts.

Sneaky Sources of Stolen Bases:

Speed is the name of the game with the SFA lineup as nine different Lumberjacks have swiped at least one base this season. Madison Nguyen continues to be a catchers worse nightmare on the basepaths as she is a perfect 10-10 on stolen bases this season while Ellie Vance and Mallory Webb have been just as much of a nuisance to opposing defenses as both have seven stolen bases this season. Chloe Reneau should not be overlooked in the SFA lineup as she has swiped four bags of her own, while Lexi Benson and Kaylee Paul have formed a dynamic duo of their own as they each have three stolen bases on the campaign. Meanwhile, Brittany Coe, Kylie Bishop, and Ja'Aira Fletcher have formed a fearsome trio of their own as they each have a stolen base this season as well.

Road Warriors:

The SFA Softball Team has become a nuisance on the road for opposing teams lately as over their last five road games they have compiled a 3-2 record with the two losses coming by a combined four runs. However, more impressively has been the fight SFA has shown on the road as they have rallied twice in the top of the seventh to spark come-from-behind victories with a three-run seventh against UTA to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 5-5 tie in an eventual 6-5 win and a second three-run seventh inning against the Wolverines to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 win.

Track the WAC Stats:

Ellie Vance, Madison Nguyen, and Chloe Reneau have been the model of consistency for SFA in conference play this season as all three have started in 19 of 20 conference games this season and rank one, two, and three in hits in conference play on the team respectively. Vance has recorded a team-high 22 hits so far in conference play, while Nguyen follows closely behind ranking second with 17 hits of her own, and Reneau ranking just a hair behind with her 16 hits in conference play. Lexi Benson and Mikaelah Burkland have both recorded three extra-base hits so far in conference, while Hope Lusk, Mikaelah Burkland, Lexi Benson, Alexis Telford, and Ellie Vance all have driven in five runs in conference play. To top it all off, all three Lumberjack starting pitchers have pitched to the tune of an era under three so far in conference play.

Keeping Up with the 'Jacks: Season Stats Edition:

Ellie Vance continues to torment opposing pitchers as she leads the team in batting average with her impressive .320 mark this season as she has recorded 40 hits on the year good for second most on the team. Madison Nguyen continues her strong senior season from the leadoff spot as she leads the team with 43 hits on the year, and tying Vance for the team lead in total bases with 45. Lexi Benson has been a true power hitter for SFA this season as she sports the highest OPS (.770) and slugging percentage (.400) on the team as she has knocked 10 extra base hits this season including six triples which ranks her tied for second most in the nation. Benson's extra-base hits have given her plenty of opportunities for RBIs as she leads the team with 14 runs driven in this season. Meanwhile, Nguyen has been just as effective as a fielder for SFA as she has recorded 85 putouts on the season and sports a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, while Alex Dubose continues her fantastic defensive season as she leads the team with 136 putouts on the year.

Warhawks at a Glance:

The ULM Warhawks will enter this midweek matchup carrying a 27-20 overall record and a 9-9 record in conference play in the Sun Belt. The Warhawks will continue their eight-game homestand that has seen them carry a 1-3 record on the homestand so far following a hard-fought sweep to Texas State. The Warhawks sport a 17-11 home record this season and have played a schedule that includes games against LSU, Mississippi State, and Syracuse so far this season. The Warhawks are led by Head Coach Molly Fichtner who is in her sixth season at the helm of the Warhawks Softball program and has recorded over 100 career wins during her time at ULM.

The ULM offense is led by Lourdes Bacon who leads the team sporting an impressive .401 batting average this season, while being equally dangerous on the basepaths as she has stolen 23 bases on the year. However, Meagan Brown has provided plenty of pop for the Warhawks this season as she leads the team in doubles (nine), triples (four), and is second on the team in homeruns with three while driving in a team-high 35 RBIs. Andie Edwards has been equally efficient with her hitting opportunities as she has recorded 31 RBIs this season in addition to 11 extra-base hits.

Kassidy Giddens and Maddie Nichols have formed a dominating duo in the circle for ULM this season as both own eras under three this season. Giddens has amassed a 7-1 record this season while pitching to the tune of a 2.26 era on the year, while Maddie Nichols has thrown a team-high 110.2 innings while punching out a team-high 102 batters on the year. Victoria Abrams rounds out the top three pitchers for ULM this season as she has won 10 games this season, while throwing 101.0 innings and pitching to the tune of a 3.33 era.

Let's Keep it Rolling:

This midweek matchup will feature the 26th time these two schools have faced off with each other in both schools history as ULM holds a slim 14-11 lead in the season series history. ULM won the last meeting between these two schools in 2022 when they defeated SFA at home 3-1, however, SFA has won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools and have scored eight or more runs in four of those six wins.