Softball: April 18 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
Abilene Christian 3, Sam Houston State 2 (9)
Northwestern State 8, Nicholls 0 (5)
Stephen F. Austin 12, UIW 0 (5)
Central Arkansas at Lamar, Cancelled (Weather)
Houston Baptist at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Cancelled (Weather)
Abilene Christian 3, Sam Houston State 2 (9)
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Abilene Christian softball scored all three of its runs between the seventh and ninth innings Saturday to salvage the final contest of its three-game series at Sam Houston State, 3-2.
Brianna Barnhill drove in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth and Julia Montoya sealed the victory by pitching her way out of a two-on, two-out jam.
Fittingly, it was shortstop Peyton Hedrick who caught the games's final out after experiencing all the highs-and-lows of a game-altering seventh inning.
With one on and one out and her team trailing 1-0, Hedrick cracked her 10th home run of the spring over the wall in center field to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead. Sadly though that lead did not last long as Jessica Slater led off with a triple to the left-center gap and scored on a misplay by Hedrick that was ruled an error.
The next Bearkat batter would walk but couldn't get further than second base after Montoya, called into the game from the bullpen, got Sam Houston's No. 4 and 5 batters to fly out.
Both offenses were retired in order in the eighth, but speedy pinch hitter Lakin Carpenter reached first on a bunt single to start the ninth. She advanced to third base on back-to-back ground balls and came charging home on Barnhill's single up the middle after Hedrick was intentionally walked.
The Bearkats came close to tying the score once more in the ninth as their No. 9 batter Angelica Gonzales drew a leadoff walk and raced to second on a two-out single by Tiffany Castillo. But Montoya got cleanup hitter Sarah Allison to pop up as she finished her day 0-for-5.
Both of Sam Houston's runs were unearned. The Bearkats took a 1-0 lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to center that was preceded by a passed ball and bunt single that allowed pinch runner Ashley Kopps to advance from first to third with one out. But after Kopps scored, the Wildcats caught Peyton Webb between second and third base to complete an unusual double play.
The Wildcats return home next week Friday for the start of a three-game series vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which will be their last of 2015 at Poly Wells Field. Game times are Friday at 4 p.m. (DH) and Saturday at 12 p.m.
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Northwestern State 8, Nicholls 0 (5)
NATCHITOCHES, La. – The moment could not have been scripted any more perfect for a pair of fourth-year Northwestern State softball players on senior day Saturday evening.
Heading into the fourth inning scoreless against Nicholls, Brittany Virgoe, NSU’s all-time leader in hits by pitch was drilled for the 32nd time in her career to open the frame. Two batters later, Cassandra Barefield, NSU’s program leader in home runs, smacked the 50th of her illustrious career off the scoreboard in right to help cap an 8-0, five-inning victory.
“They’ve all done great things,” seventh-year head coach Donald Pickett said about his seniors. “Brittany, Barefield and Kayla (Boening) have helped us in different ways; not only with their play but they’ve been great kids off the field. It makes it really special to come out on senior day and for them to perform like they can.”
Northwestern State (26-14, 15-2 Southland) erupted for four long balls on the day against the Colonels (24-17, 10-9 SLC), marking the 19th multi-homer game of the season and first time since March 6 against Incarnate Word that NSU left the yard as many times.
A pitching duel ensued early as neither Nicholls or Northwestern State could muster a run through three frames. That all changed on Barefield’s blast in the fourth, which plated Kellye Kincannon and Virgoe. The fireworks continued in the fifth as Virgoe and Kincannon hit back-to-back jacks to widen the lead to 6-0. After Barefield was plunked by a pitch, Brittney Jones launched her 10th homer of the season for the run-rule win.
“Us being able to adjust during the game was huge,” Pickett said. “They had us off balance at first and we weren’t seeing the ball well. We just talked about trying to not do too much, use the center of the field and see the ball. When they have those good approaches, they can do those special things.”
For all the focus on NSU’s senior class and its potent offense, freshman starter Mikayla Brown (7-2) was superb in the circle, tossing five innings while allowing just two hits. The righty lowered her season ERA to 1.45 after notching her third straight league victory as a starter.
“I think she was getting ahead in the count,” Pickett said. “She was able to hit her spots with pitches. Them not seeing her two times through the lineup and the ability to shorten the game I think was a huge factor also.”
Natalie Landry picked up her first triple of the season on a liner to left in the fourth. Six of NSU’s starting nine picked up hits on the day including Kincannon and Virgoe who moved their hit streaks to seven and five games respectively.
Nicholls starter Hannah Haydel (12-8) drew the loss, allowing seven hits and six runs in 4 1-3 innings pitched. Shortstop Brooke Morris and right fielder Jessica Taylor recorded the Colonels only two hits.
The Lady Demons and Colonels will play two on Sunday with first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for noon.
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Stephen F. Austin 12, UIW 0 (5)
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin softball team used a complete game gem from Callee Guffey, another monster home run from Brittany Lewis and terrific plays on defense all game long to beat Incarnate Word 12-0 in five innings on Saturday afternoon at SFA Softball Field.
The win completes the three-game sweep of the Cardinals (9-34, 3-18 SLC) and gets the Ladyjacks back to .500 in the Southland Conference at 10-10. Overall, SFA has won seven straight to improve to 18-26 on the year.
The Ladyjacks put on a hitting clinic on Saturday afternoon, going 13-for-25 at the plate as a team. Alisa Hamilton, Shalie Day, Taylor Fraccastoro, Lindsay Campbell and Autumn Holloway each netted two hits to lead the way while six different Ladyjacks record an RBI and all nine starters scored a run.
The highlight of the day came in the third inning when Lewis sent a three-run bomb to straightaway center, capping a seven-run third inning and putting SFA up 12-0. Along with her 10th homer of the year, Lewis scored two runs and drove in a team-high four RBI in the blowout win.
Although Guffey got a wealth of run support, the freshman didn’t need much during her start in the circle. She tossed a complete five innings, allowed four hits and didn’t surrender a run or a walk while fanning two. Guffey (10-11) was credited with the win for the second time in the series.
Lewis got the scoring started right away in the first inning, coming to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. The sophomore drove in Heather Hollingsworth, who started the game with an infield single, on an RBI groundout to give SFA the early 1-0 lead. In the next at-bat, Campbell scorched a two-run double down the right field line to send Lewis and Day to the plate and make it a 3-0 SFA advantage.
The Ladyjacks tacked on two more runs in the second to go up 5-0. Hollingsworth helped Taylor Vick score from third on a sacrifice squeeze and Fraccastoro laced an RBI single to left in the frame.
SFA blew the game wide open in the third with seven runs on seven hits. Day and Holloway each connected for RBI singles and Hollingsworth notched a sacrifice fly before Lewis finished the day’s damage with her three-run homer to cap a big win for the Ladyjacks.
SFA will return to the diamond on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. in Denton for a midweek game against North Texas. Next weekend, the Ladyjacks will host the final home series of the season at SFA Softball Field when Northwestern State comes to town.
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