Softball: April 17 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
Sam Houston State 5, Abilene Christian 4
Sam Houston State 2, Abilene Christian 2
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, Houston Baptist 3
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, Houston Baptist 1
Stephen F. Austin 4, UIW 2
Stephen F. Austin 6, UIW 3
McNeese State 9, Southeastern Louisiana 5 (9)
Sam Houston State 5, Abilene Christian 4
Sam Houston State 2, Abilene Christian 2
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Home runs by third baseman Peyton Webb, left fielder Jennie Kieval and right fielder Sarah Allison helped power Sam Houston to a Southland Conference softball doubleheader sweep of Abilene Christian Friday afternoon.
The Bearkats defeated ACU 5-4 and 5-2 to run their current winning streak to six games. Sam Houston stands 15-24 for the year and 6-12 in Southland Conference play. The Wildcats dropped to 9-31 for the year and 3-17 in league action.
The doubleheader was moved up to 11 a.m. Friday to avoid expect rain showers in the evening. The pair will play the final game of the series Saturday at 10 a.m., also a revised time due to weather.
Allison’s home run was the game-winning hit in the nightcap. The blast was her eighth of the year and the 30th of her career. Allison stands as the second all-time leading home run hitter in SHSU softball history.
Webb and Kieval’s homers came in the first game in a contest where ACU out-hit the Kats 10-8 but left 11 runners stranded.
A run-scoring triple by centerfielder Taylor Brown, an RBI single by shortstop Payton Henrick and a run scored on an error gave Abilene Christian an early 3-0 lead in the opening game.
Webb got two runs back for the Bearkats in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run homer down the left field line. The shot was her 2bseventh home run of the year. Second baseman Dani Allen tied the contest 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to center in the fourth inning. The play brought in Kieval who was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a pair of singles.
In the fifth inning, Kieval put the Kats up 5-3 with a shot to left center for her fifth home run of the year. The blast scored Webb who reached on a fielder’s choice. Right fielder Brianna Rodriguez added another run for the Wildcats with an RBI single in the top of the seventh.
Taylor Atkinson (3-6) earned the victory in the circle, facing 20 batters the final four and two thirds innings. Jordan Franks was the starter for Sam Houston. Emily Seidel (4-21) took the loss for ACU.
The Wildcats tallied first in the nightcap as center field Taylor Brown led off the game with a single, stole second base and scored on an error.
Allison’s three-run homer down the left field line put the Kats ahead 3-1 in the third frame. The shot scored center fielder Jessica Slater who walked and Allen who singled. Allison had a another RBI to her total in the fifth inning. Kieval also produced a run-scoring single in the inning to up SHSU’s lead to 5-1. ACU added a final run in the top of the seventh.
Haley Baros (2-7) chalked up her fifth complete game performance to earn the win in the nightcap. Julia Montoya (5-10) took the loss for the Wildcats. Sam Houston totaled 17 hits in the doubleheader with Allen leading the way going 4-for-7 at the plate.
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, Houston Baptist 3
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, Houston Baptist 1
CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team secured its fourth Southland Conference series win today as it swept Houston Baptist in a doubleheader at Chapman Field. The Islanders (15-24-1, 10-10 SLC) outhit the Huskies 19-10 today and were powered by sophomore Brittney Morse who hit .571 in the two games combined.
HBU (10-27, 4-15 SLC) put together a late rally in the first game but came up short as the Islanders squeezed out a 4-3 win. In the second game, the Islanders built an early lead and maintained their lead to earn their 10th Southland win of the season, 4-1.
The Islanders and Huskies will wrap the series tomorrow at 12 p.m.
Game 1
After a scoreless first couple of innings, the Islanders got on the board in the bottom of the third with one run on two hits to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Mackinzee Griebel led the frame off with a single to left field and landed on second after a sacrifice bunt by Cosette Hernandez. After a line out by Dani Tefft, senior Mickayla Cochran reached on a fielding error as Griebel came around to score. The Islanders then loaded the bases as Morse ripped a single to center field and Mendez drew a walk but the Huskies pulled out of the jam as Galloway hit a fly out.
Sophomore Liz Carter pitched a solid game and retired nine straight Huskies following a leadoff single in the second inning. Carter wouldn't allow a base runner until the top of the fifth when Kay Schroeder drew a leadoff walk.
A&M-Corpus Christi's bats then registered three hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Tefft reached on a fielding error by the Huskies to start things off before Cochran drilled her second single of the day to the outfield. After a strikeout, Mendez was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Senior Hayley Galloway then stepped to the plate and nailed a RBI single to right center to score Tefft and load the bases once again for the Islanders. After senior Lindsey Lyles hit a pop fly, Carter blasted a two-run single to center field to bring Mendez and Cochran across home plate. On the play, Carter was able to advance to second on a fielding error by the Huskies.
Carter and the Islanders' defense held the Huskies off the board until the top of the sixth when Victoria Granchelli scored on a RBI single by Melissa Herman. Granchelli started the inning off with a single to center field before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Islanders then escaped as they recorded their ninth double play of the season.
HBU rallied back in the top of the seventh with two runs on two hits before the Islanders earned the win. Laci Belovsky came in to pinch hit and hit a RBI triple down the right field line to score Libby Brown who started the inning with a single through the middle. The Huskies then scored their third run of the game as Caitlin Gunn hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Belovsky. The Islanders finished off the game by snagging the groundout.
Cochran went 3-for-4 to lead the Islanders' bats while seven other Islanders chipped in at least one hit.
Carter (10-15) earned the win in the Islanders' circle with her 19th complete game of the season. She allowed seven hits, three runs and two walks while striking out three Huskies in seven innings.
Shannon O'Connor (3-8) took the loss for the Huskies in six innings. She allowed 10 hits, four unearned runs and one walk while striking out two batters.
Game 2
HBU opened the game with a 1-0 lead after Nicole Shedd hit a RBI sacrifice fly to Tefft in foul territory to score Shay Orsak who started the game with a single down the left field line. The Islanders however answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and two in the bottom of the third to earn the 4-1 win.
In the bottom of the first, Hernandez recorded the Islanders' first hit of the game with an infield single before picking up her third stolen base of the season. After Cochran reached on a walk, sophomore Jessica Mendez hit a line out to second for the second out of the inning. Carter then stepped to the plate and ripped a RBI single to right center to plate Hernandez. Morse kept the Islanders' bats alive as she followed suit with a RBI single down the right field line to bring Cochran across home plate.
Then in the bottom of the third, Morse hit another RBI single, this time through the left side to score Mendez who reached on a throwing error by the Huskies. Lyles then drilled a RBI single through the middle to plate Morse who registered one of the Islanders' three hits in the inning with a shot through the left side.
Hurler Stephanie Flores had an impressive game as she held the Huskies off the board for the final six frames and allowed just three hits and one walk in the game, while recording three strikeouts in seven innings. She retired 21 of the last 24 batters she faced, including eight straight to wrap the game. After the opening frame, Flores and the Islanders' defense didn't allow a Husky past second base.
Morse finished 3-for-3 to power the Islanders' bats while six other Islanders recorded one hit in the game. The Islanders outhit the Huskies, 9-3.
Belovsky (7-11) suffered the loss for the Huskies. She allowed nine hits, four runs, three of them earned while walking one and striking out three in six innings.
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Stephen F. Austin 4, UIW 2
Stephen F. Austin 6, UIW 3
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Callee Guffey and Makayla Sikes each had big performances in the circle, Lewis cranked her ninth homer of the year to spark a late rally in game two and the Stephen F. Austin softball team came away with 4-2, 6-3 victories against Incarnate Word on Friday afternoon at SFA Softball Field.
With the two wins, the Ladyjacks improve to 17-26 on the year and 9-10 in Southland Conference play – just 1.5 games back of sixth in the standings. The top six squads in the league make it to the SLC Tournament in May.
Freshmen Guffey and Sikes pitched like upperclassmen on Friday, each tossing a complete game and putting the Ladyjack bats in position to win. In game one, Guffey (9-11) allowed just one earned run and five hits in seven innings while striking out four. Sikes (3-10) followed by surrendering just three hits as well as one earned run in seven frames. She fanned three on the day.
Both hurlers picked up wins and combined to limit Incarnate Word (9-33, 3-17 SLC) to eight hits and a .170 team batting average over the two contests.
The Cardinals held a 3-0 lead after five innings in the nightcap before Lewis ignited a huge sixth inning for the Ladyjacks. After Shalie Day walked, Lewis crushed a two-run homer to left field to put SFA on the board 3-2.
Katelyn Standley and Lindsay Campbell followed with back-to-back singles before Taylor Fraccastoro came up with a clutch pinch hit RBI double down the left field line to tie the game 3-3.
The unsung play of the day might have come later in the sixth inning with two outs and Heather Hollingsworth at the plate. The junior outfielder hit a sharp grounder to second and when UIW’s Natalie Duron opted to go for the tag rather than the short throw to first, Hollingsworth plowed through to jar the ball loose. The hustle play allowed Campbell and Fraccastoro to score and kept the inning alive.
The two runs gave SFA its first lead of the game at 5-3. Lewis later drew a bases loaded walk to pad the lead to 6-3, capping the scoring.
Campbell went 3-for-3 with a run and Alisa Hamilton went 2-for-4 to help Lewis pace the ‘Jacks offensively.
In game one, the Ladyjacks struck first with two runs in the third inning. Taylor Vick and Hollingsworth led off with singles and scored on a bunt single by Day and a Fraccastoro RBI groundout.
Hamilton and Day each scored in the fifth inning to make it a 4-1 ballgame. Fraccastoro sent Hamilton home on a sac fly and Lewis launched a double to right to drive home Annie Mehringer, who pinch ran for Day.
UIW got a run back in the seventh inning but Guffey shut the door after that to secure the 4-2 win.
Day was the lone Ladyjack to record a multi-hit game in the front end of the doubleheader, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. Fraccastoro ended the game with a team-best two RBI.
The Ladyjacks and Cardinals will conclude the three-game series on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at SFA Softball Field.
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McNeese State 9, Southeastern Louisiana 5 (9)
HAMMOND, La. – Freshman Morgan Catron’s pinch hit grand slam in the ninth inning was enough to give McNeese a 9-5 come from behind Southland Conference win Friday night. The night also featured Erika Piancastelli’s record breaking 18th home run in the seventh inning that sent the game into extra innings.
With the Cowgirls trailing 5-2 heading into the seventh inning and their backs against the wall, Hailey Drew reached first on a one out, four pitch walk. Lauren Langner followed Drew with a walk also, setting the stage for Piancastelli. Piancastelli got down in the count 0-2 before staying alive with two balls on the next two pitches. After she fouled off the next pitch, the freshman sent the next pitch over the centerfield wall to tie the game at five all and gave McNeese new life. The homer also broke the McNeese single season home run record held by Heather Moreaux since 2000.
The Cowgirls missed a golden opportunity to win the game in the top of the eighth after Taylor Schmidt led the inning off with a double then went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Goree. Unfortunately, the Cowgirls left Schmidt stranded on third.
Southeastern La. also had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the eighth but Katie Lacour was left stranded on second when Cowgirl reliever Emily Vincent got Sydney Booker to fly out to left for the third out.
McNeese got a second chance to take the lead in the ninth inning and took full advantage of it this time. After a ground out by Langner, the Lions walked Piancastelli, Vincent and Bryanna Castro to load the bases. The Cowgirls opted to go pinch hit for Tori Yanitor with Catron. Like Piancastelli, Catron got down in the count 0-2 before taking her first ball. Catron then hit her second home run of the year and first career grand slam over the right field fence to give McNeese a 9-5 lead. Vincent shut the Lions down in the bottom of the ninth getting the first three batters to ground out consecutively to end the game.
Southeastern La. jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run home run by Megan Moore. The Lions added another run in the second inning when Cowgirl starter Jamie Allred hit Kasey Nielson with the bases loaded to extend their lead to 4-0.
McNeese got on the board with two runs in the third on a triple by Vincent that scored Langner and Taunton. Southeastern La. got one of those runs back in the fourth on a RBI single by Moore to take a 5-2 lead.
Trailing 5-2 heading to the seventh and their backs against the wall, McNeese scored seven runs in the final two innings to take the win.
McNeese outhit Southeastern La. 12-11 and was led by Schmidt’s 4 for 4 plate appearance. The Cowgirls also picked up five extra base hits in the game and didn’t commit an error.
Vincent improves to 11-5 on the year with the win in relief of Allred. Vincent gave up one run on six hits with nine strikeouts, one shy of her career high in 7.2 innings.
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