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No. 1 Seed Bobcat Softball Upset 3-2 by SFA in SLC Tourney
May 9, 2008 SAN MARCOS - Ragan Blake took a no-hitter into the sixth inning holding a two-run lead, but a three-run home run by the Ladyjacks gave No. 4 Stephen F. Austin a 3-2 lead that the Bobcats could not rebound from as No. 1 Texas State was upset in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals. The loss knocks Texas State (35-18) out of contention for the Southland's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Bobcats remain on the bubble for an at-large berth into the field of 64. Stephen F. Austin (35-23) advances to the SLC Tournament championship game against No. 6 Nicholls State at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Blake and SFA's Monika Covington started the game dueling from the circle as neither team recorded a hit until a Jill Kloesel single in the bottom of the third with two outs. The Bobcats could not produce a run after Kloesel's single, but an inning later Texas State did strike paydirt with a two-out rally. SLC Hitter of the Year McKenzie Baack drew a walk before Leah Boatright squared for a bunt that bounced in front of the plate, but Ladyjack catcher Kim Daley's throw sailed wide of first base and rolled all the way into the right field corner. By the time Kendall Harper retrieved the loose ball Baack had scored, and Boatright also slid in safely under the tag to give Texas State a 2-0 lead. After a perfect top of the fifth, the `Cats looked to add to their lead when Ashton Peters drew a lead-off walk, but Covington bounced back to sit down the next three batters in order and escape any trouble. Monica Hirsch led off the top of the sixth with a groundout for the first out, but Kendall Harper reached on a fielding error by Ryan Kos. Benet Higgs followed by lining a single to center to break up Blake's no-hit bid, and with two on and one out Jessica Tullos sent a deep fly ball that just cleared the wall and a leaping Kloesel for a three-run homer that gave SFA its first lead of the game.
Opportunity knocked for Texas State in the bottom of the sixth to get the run back after Alex Newton and Baack led off the inning with back-to-back singles that put the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at first with nobody out. Boatright then tried to sacrifice both runners over, but her bunt attempt stayed airborne long enough for Tullos to catch it for an out. Newton then stole third on a delayed steal to put runners on the corners, but Taylor Hall's groundout failed to bring Newton home. Baack advanced to second on the play, but Jenna Emery struck out swinging to end the inning and leave the go-ahead run stranded at second base. The Bobcats had one final chance in the seventh to tie the game, but Peters grounded out to third before Kloesel grounded out to second. Kristina Tello came up and hit a hard line drive to left, but Hirsch was right there to squeeze it for the game's final out. Texas State finished the game with two runs on five hits with two errors as five different players delivered singles for the Bobcats. Blake (20-11) pitched all seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits and three walks while striking out nine. Covington (19-12) earned the win after giving up a pair of unearned runs on five hits and two walks while also striking out nine. Tullos finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs while Higgs finished 1-for-3 with a run and Harper went 0-for-2 and scored. |
