Friday, February 6
Commerce, TX
1:30 P.M.
Stephen F. Austin
1-0
7
vs
6
South Dakota State
1-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
South Dakota State
3
2
0
1
0
0
0
6
9
2
SFA
0
0
0
0
1
6
7
12
3
Photo by: Elayna Felder | ETAMU Athletics
Bryant’s One-Hitter in Nightcap, Sixth Inning Rally in Opener Caps 2-0 Day for Jacks
2/7/2026 12:11:00 AM | Softball
Crimson Bryant fans 14 St. Bonaventure batters in six-inning effort, Jacks plate six runs in sixth inning to beat South Dakota State in season opener
COMMERCE, Texas – In her debut for Stephen F. Austin, Crimson Bryant fired a six-inning one-hitter with 14 strikeouts as the Jacks beat St. Bonaventure 14-0 in Friday's nightcap to wrap up a successful opening day of action as the season opener saw SFA use a six-inning rally down 6-1 and capped by a two-run blast by Lilly Bean to beat South Dakota State 7-6. SFA returns to action on Saturday morning at the East Texas A&M Leadoff. Live coverage links of the action are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
Bryant (1-0) faced two over the minimum after allowing a double in the second and a walk in the third but was otherwise perfect as she sat down the last 11 batters she faced which included eight strikeouts and a fanning of the side in the sixth.
SFA pushed across two runs in each of the first and second innings. Kyi'Marri Ester singled in the game's first two runs with one out in the opening frame and in the second, the Jacks used a run-scoring knock by Ellie Vance for a 3-0 lead just prior to Morgan Wright doubling in Vance as SFA staked Bryant to a 4-0 advantage through two.
With Bryant cruising, Malia Jones doubled in an insurance run in the fifth inning as Ester scored to give the Jacks a 5-0 lead. A frame later, the contest was promptly put on ice as SFA plated nine runs on seven hits and five walks, while the Bonnies used three pitchers in the inning.
In the opener, SFA engineered a late-game rally in the season opener plating six runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-6 lead before Amelia Hatthorn (1-0) worked around a one-out single in the seventh to fan a pair and complete the five-inning relief effort in the win column.
The Jacks recorded five hits through the game's first four innings of play, stranding five base runners, before finding the scoreboard for the first time in '26 in the home half of the fifth. Jamie Varga doubled to lead off the frame and with one out she advanced to third on a fielding error in Vance's at bat. With runners at the corners, Wright singled into left field to plate Varga and cut into the deficit.
In that profitable sixth inning, the Jacks were jumpstarted by Ester who singled to third for her third hit of the game and moved to second on a throwing error. A wild pitched pushed Ester to third and a walk to Kaylee Paul put runners at the corner. A one-out single from Varga plated Ester and a two-run triple off the bat of Kara Pride scored Paul and Varga and brought the Jacks to within two runs of the lead at 6-4 with one away in the frame.
Vance singled to shortstop following an SDSU pitching change to score Pride and with two outs, Bean hammered a 1-0 pitch out over deep center field for a two-run blast and a 7-6 SFA advantage with the Jackrabbits down to their final three outs.
Hatthorn scattered four hits and two walks, while striking out seven in her SFA debut. She took over in the third inning for SFA starter Reagan Hall who allowed five hits and two earned runs.
POSTGAME NOTES
SFA is back in action on Saturday morning for two more contests beginning first against Texas Southern (9 a.m.) and then followed by Bucknell (11:15 a.m.). Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
THE 'JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App
FOLLOW THE JACKS
For all the latest information on SFA softball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
#AxeEm
Bryant (1-0) faced two over the minimum after allowing a double in the second and a walk in the third but was otherwise perfect as she sat down the last 11 batters she faced which included eight strikeouts and a fanning of the side in the sixth.
SFA pushed across two runs in each of the first and second innings. Kyi'Marri Ester singled in the game's first two runs with one out in the opening frame and in the second, the Jacks used a run-scoring knock by Ellie Vance for a 3-0 lead just prior to Morgan Wright doubling in Vance as SFA staked Bryant to a 4-0 advantage through two.
With Bryant cruising, Malia Jones doubled in an insurance run in the fifth inning as Ester scored to give the Jacks a 5-0 lead. A frame later, the contest was promptly put on ice as SFA plated nine runs on seven hits and five walks, while the Bonnies used three pitchers in the inning.
In the opener, SFA engineered a late-game rally in the season opener plating six runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-6 lead before Amelia Hatthorn (1-0) worked around a one-out single in the seventh to fan a pair and complete the five-inning relief effort in the win column.
The Jacks recorded five hits through the game's first four innings of play, stranding five base runners, before finding the scoreboard for the first time in '26 in the home half of the fifth. Jamie Varga doubled to lead off the frame and with one out she advanced to third on a fielding error in Vance's at bat. With runners at the corners, Wright singled into left field to plate Varga and cut into the deficit.
In that profitable sixth inning, the Jacks were jumpstarted by Ester who singled to third for her third hit of the game and moved to second on a throwing error. A wild pitched pushed Ester to third and a walk to Kaylee Paul put runners at the corner. A one-out single from Varga plated Ester and a two-run triple off the bat of Kara Pride scored Paul and Varga and brought the Jacks to within two runs of the lead at 6-4 with one away in the frame.
Vance singled to shortstop following an SDSU pitching change to score Pride and with two outs, Bean hammered a 1-0 pitch out over deep center field for a two-run blast and a 7-6 SFA advantage with the Jackrabbits down to their final three outs.
Hatthorn scattered four hits and two walks, while striking out seven in her SFA debut. She took over in the third inning for SFA starter Reagan Hall who allowed five hits and two earned runs.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The Jacks won a season opener for the second-straight season and for the third time in the past four seasons
- SFA is off to the program's first 2-0 start to a season since the 2023 campaign
- The Jacks' 21 runs plated on opening day are the most for the program on the first day of the season since pushing across 23 runs against Kentucky (L, 11-12) and Southern Miss (W, 12-4) in 2007
- Ester, Wright and Vance all recorded five hits on Friday
- The Jacks combined to produce seven extra base hits with Varga delivering two doubles and triple as part of a four-hit day
- Varga scored five times as ten different Jacks crossed home with Vance following with four runs scored
- Eight Jacks accounted for two or more RBI with Wright and Vance each recording three
- The Jacks drew eight walks and fanned just seven times across the two contests
- The SFA pitching staff struck out a collective 23 with just five walks issued paced by Bryant's efforts against SBU
- Bryant's 14 strikeouts are the most by a Lumberjack arm since Kassidy Wilbur sat down 14 Missouri State batters on February 19, 2022
SFA is back in action on Saturday morning for two more contests beginning first against Texas Southern (9 a.m.) and then followed by Bucknell (11:15 a.m.). Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
THE 'JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App
FOLLOW THE JACKS
For all the latest information on SFA softball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
#AxeEm
Team Stats
Batting:
2B: Bollen, Alivya 1 ; Berlage, Ella 1
RBI: Bollen, Alivya 3 ; Berlage, Ella 2
SH: Barnard, Akayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Christensen, Emma 2 ; Barnard, Akayla 2 ; Gentry, Abby 2
Batting:
2B: Varga, Jamie 1
3B: Pride, Kara 1
HR: Bean, Lilly 1
RBI: Wright, Morgan 1 ; Varga, Jamie 1 ; Pride, Kara 2 ; Bean, Lilly 2 ; Vance, Ellie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Paul, Kaylee 1 ; Varga, Jamie 2 ; Ester, Kyi'Marri 1 ; Pride, Kara 1 ; Bean, Lilly 1 ; Vance, Ellie 1
SB: Vance, Ellie 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
C/1B
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF/INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball2B
/ SoftballSS
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball2.1.24 | Axe 'Em Insider Ep. 24 x Softball
Friday, February 02
Softball - Stephen F. Austin - 02/22/2017: Stephen F. Austin
Wednesday, February 22
Softball - Stephen F. Austin - 02/22/2017: Stephen F. Austin
Wednesday, February 22
SFA Completes Epic Comeback: SFA Softball
Thursday, May 12
