April 23, 2006
Box Score
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The UT Arlington softball team squandered early opportunities as Stephen F. Austin out-slugged UTA 7-4 in the finale of a three-game Southland Conference series here Sunday afternoon.
The loss leaves UTA (28-16, 16-6) in a must-win situation going into the season's final weekend at Texas-San Antonio. UTA must win three games against UTSA next weekend to leapfrog into second place in the standings and grab the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament, May 5-7, in Natchitoches, La. . The Roadrunners improved to 19-5 in the league after winning their 13th straight game Sunday.
UTA was unable to take advantage of the bases loaded and no outs in the first inning of Sunday's game at Stephen F. Austin. The Mavericks took an early 1-0 lead on a Courtni Anderson single, but the Mavs' left the bases full after an April Clougherty strike out and a Lacey Leadbetter fly out. Stephen F. Austin (16-27, 6-15) scored four runs in the bottom of the first, but UTA responded with three runs in the second to tie the game at 4-4.
Courtney Anderson hit a leadoff home run, Amanda Swofford doubled and scored with a sacrifice fly by Autumn Petrino. Deejay Nelson tied a single-season record with her seventh home run of the season to center field to tie the game at 4-4.
SFA chased starter Jill Garro out of the game in the third inning as first baseman Tara Hersey crossed the dish on Julie Morse's double to right center to take a 5-4 lead.
SFA third baseman Lee Lara then put up an insurance run for SFA with a home run over the left center field wall off reliever Laura Jones (10-40 in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was her seventh home run of the season, tying the season record at SFA.
UTA returns to play Thursday when they face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a twinbill.
