May 7, 2009
Box Score
Lake Charles, La. -No. 1 seeded Texas State softball beat No. 4 Stephen F. Austin 3-1, in its first game of the 2009 Southland Conference Softball Tournament in Lake Charles, La. at the Cowgirl Diamond. Ryan Kos and Allyce Rother hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the fourth to push past the Ladyjacks and move on with a 1-0 record in the tourney. Texas State will play the winner of No. 2 McNeese State and No. 3 UTSA tomorrow, May 8 at 4:00pm.
"It's great to get the win today. We came out today and took care of business," said head coach Ricci Woodard. "Now we will focus on our game tomorrow taking it one game at a time."
Chandler Hall recorded the first hit of the game when she hit a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the first. Jenna Emery stepped up to the plate next, advancing to first on a hit by pitch, which moved Hall to second. Both players moved a base on a passed by SFA's Kim Daley. The Bobcats however could not capitalize as Leah Boatright popped up to the catcher for the third out of the inning.
McKenzie Baack led the second inning off with her eighth double of the season as she smacked the ball to the center field wall. A sacrifice bunt by Ryan Kos advanced Baack to third to put the first baseman in scoring position. With a 2-2 count, Allyce Rother nailed one to an opening in right center to score Baack at home for the first run of the game.
The Ladyjacks tied up the game when Keri Hugie scored at the plate on a wild pitch to bring the score to 1-1.
The Bobcats tallied one hit in the third with Newton reaching on a hit by pitch and Taylor Hall bunting to first. A sacrifice bunt by C. Hall moved both players a base, but two straight outs ended the inning for the Bobcats.
Texas State hit back-to-back home runs when Kos and Rother both hammered the ball over the left field wall. Kos' homer was her fifth of the season. Rother connected on her first homer of the season giving the Bobcats a 3-1 edge.
SFA switched pitchers after Kos' home run, bringing in their number one pitcher Monika Covington to replace Lauren Luetge. Rother took advantage of Covington taking a homer off her.
Texas State finished the game with three runs, on six hits and no errors. Hall earned her 22nd win of the season. She recorded six strikeouts in 30 batters faces, allowing one earned run in seven innings on the mound.
Rother finished the game 2-for-3, with one run and two RBI on the day.
SFA tallied one run, on four hits. Luetge took the loss for the Ladyjacks falling to 6-5 on the season.
