Softball: Feb. 18 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
Northwestern State 4, Louisiana-Monroe 3
Stephen F. Austin 15, Texas Southern 3 (5)
UTSA 7, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6
No. 22/23 South Alabama 7, Nicholls 2
No. 2/2 Oregon 14, Sam Houston State 4 (5)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Central Arkansas, Postponed
Southeastern Louisiana at Alcorn State, Postponed
Northwestern State 4, Louisiana-Monroe 3
NATCHITOCHES, La. – Northwestern State softball rallied back from an early three-run deficit thanks to three solo home runs including two as part of a three-run fifth inning to beat ULM, 4-3 at the Lady Demon Diamond on Wednesday.
NSU’s (3-8) Cassandra Barefield hit her first home run of the season, a shot over the left center field wall to bring the Lady Demons within two at 3-1 in the bottom second. The dinger was the 37th of her career, one shy of tying Erin Mancusos’ (1998-02) program leading 38.
Brittney Jones got in action as well with a lead-off solo home run in the bottom fifth. The left field liner was her second of the season. Two batters later, Hailee Rhodes also struck big with her first collegiate home run to tie the game at three.
After Sidney Salmans reached on an error, Brittany Virgoe notched her seventh RBI of the season with a single right up the middle to give NSU a 4-3 lead.
Micaela Bouvier picked up her second win of the season in dominant fashion, striking out 10 Warhawk hitters including five straight between the fourth and sixth innings. With the win, the Lady Demons ended the Warhawks (9-2) eight-game win streak.
Six Lady Demons registered hits including Kellye Kincannon, who led the squad with two. After ULM’s three-run first inning against starter Baylee Gray, the squad tallied just one hit the remainder of the game.
Northwestern State has a quick turnaround with a game against Saint Louis scheduled for Thursday at 2:30 p.m. from Jackson, Miss. From there, the Lady Demons begin play at the Jackson State Tournament from Friday-Sunday, facing off against Belmont, Morehead State and host Jackson State.
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Stephen F. Austin 15, Texas Southern 3 (5)
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin softball team made quick work of Texas Southern in the Ladyjacks’ 2015 home opener on Wednesday afternoon, winning 15-3 in five innings at SFA Softball Field. The lopsided result moves SFA to 5-6 overall on the year.
The Ladyjacks used eight hits and a Lady Tiger error to post a season-high 11 runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Leading by just one, 4-3, heading into the frame, SFA had firm control of the game at 15-3 when the dust settled. In all, seven of the eight hits resulted in at least one RBI coming from six different Ladyjacks.
Lindsay Campbell started the hit parade with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alisa Hamilton and then opened the scoring on another single up the middle by Brittany Lewis. Heather Hollingsworth and Shalie Day earned back-to-back walks to load the bases for Taylor Fraccastoro. The freshman ripped a single through the infield to score two runs and give SFA a 7-3 lead.
The next four runs scored in the inning came off RBI singles. Katelyn Standley, Taylor Vick, Autumn Holloway and Hamilton all notched run-scoring hits to extend SFA’s lead to 11-3. Still with just one out recorded, Lewis stepped to the plate with the bases juiced following Hamilton’s RBI single to right. Lewis proceeded to clear the traffic jam on the base paths by crushing a ball deep to the gap in left center for a three-run double. The sophomore later touched home on a Lady Tiger error to cap the scoring.
The Lady Tigers (1-6) scored a run in the top half of the first inning but the Ladyjacks were quick to respond in the bottom half. After Hollingsworth drew a walk, Day sent a missile over the wall in left center for her second home run of the year. The two-run shot put SFA on top 2-1.
TSU put up two more runs in the third to regain the lead 3-2 but SFA was up to the task again in the bottom of the frame. Hollingsworth led off the inning with a perfectly executed bunt single and Day earned a four-pitch walk to put two ducks on the pond for Standley. The sophomore third baseman cleared the bases on a two-run double to left, handing the lead back to SFA, 4-3.
After the Ladyjacks’ 11-run fourth inning extended the advantage to 15-3, TSU got one more chance in the fifth before the game was called.
Freshman Makayla Sikes (1-3) was solid on the mound for SFA, pitching a full five innings. She allowed just one earned run and two unearned runs on six hits, walked one and struck out two en route to picking up her first winning decision at the college level.
All nine Ladyjacks who started Wednesday’s game notched a hit, while Lewis, Standley and Hamilton all recorded two. Lewis led the way with four RBI on the afternoon, Standley drove in three and Day and Fraccastoro each posted two RBI.
SFA will next be in action against Louisiana Tech next Wednesday, Feb. 25 in Ruston, Louisiana. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
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UTSA 7, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh lifted UTSA to a 7-6 win over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team tonight at Roadrunner Field. After an early back-and-forth battle, senior Lindsey Lyles cranked her second career grand slam in the top of the fifth to push the Islanders ahead, but a pair of home runs in the final frame gave UTSA the win.
The Islanders' (0-10-1) bats ignited for 10 hits in the game led by sophomore Jessica Mendez who went 3-for-4. Sophomores Liz Carter and Brittney Morse went 2-for-3 while Lyles and Morse each registered the Islanders' first two home runs of the season. Senior Mickayla Cochran added a double and senior Hayley Galloway added a hit for the Islanders.
The Roadrunners (8-3) also tallied 10 hits, including five home runs in the game and were led by Vivian Tijerina and Courtney Buchman who went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs.
The Islanders' bats caught fire in the opening frame with four hits to take an early 2-0 lead. With one out, Mendez ripped an infield single to second base before Morse stepped to the plate. With a 1-1 count, the sophomore cranked her first home run of the season and ninth career shot over the center field wall to score Mendez and put the Islanders on the board. After Carter struck out swinging, Cochran nailed her third double of the season down the left field line and Galloway followed suit with an infield single to put runners on the corners. However, the Roadrunners pulled out of the jam as pitcher Kacy Freeze recorded her second strikeout of the frame.
UTSA quickly answered back in the bottom of the first with four runs on four hits to garner a 4-2 lead. Without one, Buchman hit a home run over the right center wall to put the Roadrunners on the board. After a single to left field by Megan Low, UTSA's Tijerina hit a two-run home run over the center field wall to score Low. The Islanders then recorded the second out of the frame after a fly out, but Tess Soefje hit the Roadrunners' third home run of the frame with a shot to left center to give UTSA a 4-2 lead. The Islanders pulled out of the jam with a ground out.
After a quick second inning, the Islanders put runners in scoring position in the top of the third but were unable to score. Mendez led off the frame with the Islanders' fifth hit of the game with an infield single and she swiped second on a wild pitch as Morse struck out swinging. Carter then reached on a hit by pitch to put Islanders on first and second for Cochran. The senior hit a ground out to second base to advance Carter to second and Mendez to third, but UTSA's Freeze recorded her fourth strikeout of the game to end the Islanders' threat.
The Islanders' bats came alive again in the top of the fifth to score four runs on four hits. Mendez, Morse and Carter all hit a trio of singles to the outfield to load the bases before Chelsea Parker replaced Freeze in the UTSA circle. Parker then recorded her first strikeout of the game before Galloway reached on a fielder's choice as Mendez was called out at home. With bases loaded once again and two outs, Lyles stepped to the plate and blasted a grand slam over the center field wall to clear the bases and put the Islanders ahead, 6-4. It marked Lyles' fifth career home run and second grand slam of her career.
UTSA responded with a run on two hits in the bottom of the fifth to trim the Islanders' lead to one at 6-5. Jade Smith led off the frame with an infield single and advanced to second on an Islanders' throwing error. After a line out, Buchman hit a double down the left field line to score Smith for the Roadrunners' fifth run of the game. After a walk, Carter retired the side, leaving Roadrunners on first and second.
The Islanders loaded the bases in the top of the seventh after Morse reached on a walk to start the frame and Carter followed with the Islanders' 10th hit of the game with a single through the middle. However, UTSA stranded the Islanders after Lyles was hit by the pitch to load the bases and freshman Ashleigh Perez grounded out.
UTSA rallied back in the bottom of the seventh with three hits and two runs to win. After a fly out, Buchman hit her second home run of the game with a solo shot over the left center wall to knot the game at 6-6. After a single by Low, Tefft picked up the assist on the 7-4 putout as Low tried to advance to second. With two outs, Tijerina on a 1-2 count hit a walk-off home run over the left field wall to lift the Roadrunners to a 7-6 win.
The Islanders will remain on the road as they head to Houston for the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic on Feb. 20-22. The Islanders will play a total of five games against New Mexico, Illinois and host Houston.
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No. 22/23 South Alabama 7, Nicholls 2
THIBODAUX, La. – Junior Danielle Phillips came through with a game-tying two-run single in the bottom of the sixth against No. 22 South Alabama, but the Jaguars put any hopes of an upset to rest with a five-run seventh to hand Nicholls a 7-2 loss on Wednesday afternoon at the Colonel Softball Complex.
With cold temperatures and the wind howling in, the teams combined for only eight singles in the pitcher-friendly conditions. South Alabama (8-2) had five of the hits with Nicholls (6-5) recording the other three.
USA cracked the scoring column in the third after taking advantage of an error and two walks. Hannah Haydel, who pitched 6.1 innings for the Colonels, had a quiet first two innings before running into trouble in the third. With two outs and the bases loaded, Chloe Rathburn ripped a Haydel offering right passed third base, bringing home two runs for the early lead.
USA pitcher Devin Brown, after serving up a single to Brooke Morris in the first inning, found her rhythm and retired the next 14 batters to head into the bottom of the sixth with a 2-0 lead. But Kristen Ahearn finally broke the streak with a leadoff single and the Colonels loaded the bases with two outs following walks by Laura Neil and Kayla Prater.
The Jaguars went to the bullpen with Kalen McGill, but Phillips fouled off four pitches before sending a shot up the middle to tie the game at 2-2.
In the top of the seventh, the Colonels went to the pen as well, bringing in Jackie Johnson. After walking three batters, coach Angel Santiago brought Haydel back in and she recorded the second out. But she would issue a bases loaded walk to surrender the lead. USA would tack on a pair of 2-run singles to extend its lead to 7-2.
The Colonels were then retired in order in the seventh to end the game.
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No. 2/2 Oregon 14, Sam Houston State 4 (5)
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For two innings Sam Houston held a lead on the No. 2 ranked softball team in the nation, the undefeated Oregon.
But the Ducks found stride in a five-run third inning and an eight-run fourth to hand the Bearkats a 14-4 run-rule loss in a non-conference game at the Aggie Softball Complex Wednesday afternoon.
Sam Houston, now 4-7), showed the Kats have some hitting power of their own as the SHSU women collected three runs on third baseman Peyton Webb’s home run blast to left field to go up 3-0.
Designated player Hilary Adams parked a solo shot down the right field line to give Sam Houston a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The homer, Adams’ first of the year, marked the senior’s 32nd career home run. She is Sam Houston’s all-time leading home run hitter.
Center fielder Jessica Slater and Peyton each had two hits for Sam Houston. Angelica Gonzales and Dani Allen each added singles.
Three Ducks hit home runs in the next two innings as Oregon racked up 13 runs on 12 hits. Geri Ann Glasco was the winning pitcher, striking out five Bearkats in four innings.
Sam Houston, now 4-7 for the year, heads to Mobile, Alabama, for the South Alabama Classic this weekend.
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