Published: May 10, 2008 08:27 pm            

SFA bursts Bobcats’ bubble

Top-seeded Texas State left speechless after 3-2 loss in SLC Tournament

No matter how long Texas State pitcher Ragan Blake stared at the scoreboard the final score wouldn’t change. No matter how many tears rolled down her cheeks, the outcome would be the same.

The top-seeded Bobcats choked against Stephen F. Austin in the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament, losing 3-2 on Friday night.

Texas State took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when head coach Ricci Woodard decided to use the element of surprise. After Mackenzie Baack drew a two-out walk, Leah Boatright laid down a bunt and SFA catcher Kim Daley threw it wide of first, allowing both Baack and Boatright to come around to score.

“They got down for a moment, but it’s my job to redirect them and refocus them,” Lady Jack head coach Gay McNutt said about the error. “We just had to let them know that we had two more innings to go.”

Blake pitched a tremendous game for five innings. She was no-hitting a potent Lady Jack offense, overpowering them with her riseball. Blake had six strikeouts through five innings and only two balls left the infield.

Blake retired SFA in order in the fifth and the first batter in the sixth. Lady Jack outfielder Kendal Harper ripped the next pitch toward second baseman Ryan Kos, who booted it, and Harper was safe at first. The error had an adverse effect on Blake’s command as she left several pitches up in the zone, one of which was mashed up the middle for a single.

“The error gave them some momentum,” Woodard said. “They’re at the top of their lineup and what you don’t want to do is give them opportunities to have people on base.”

The Lady Jacks had two runners on for senior infielder Jessica Tullos, who entered the game with 10 home runs. Tullos drove Blake’s 2-2 pitch deep into left field and over the out-stretched glove of Jill Kloesel for a three-run homer.

“I thought it was out (as soon as she hit it),” Woodard said. “I couldn’t even tell you (what was going through my head), it was probably not a very nice feeling.”

The Bobcats had their chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth after Alex Newton singled and stole second. Baack smoked a single to right, but Boatright attempted to bunt again and popped it up.

Texas State junior outfielder Taylor Hall grounded out on the next pitch and third baseman Jenna Emery stepped to the plate. Emery, a .190 hitter, was 0 for 2 with a strikeout. Woodard had Ali McCormack (.240) and Jetta Weinheimer (.300) on the bench to pinch hit, but chose to stick with Emery.

“I thought she did a decent job of putting the ball in play and she’s also the kid who gets us the first run in the ballgame on Sunday,” Woodard said. “(Emery and SFA pitcher Monika Covington) have faced each other every summer, forever, so she’s a kid I thought would still do a pretty decent job.”

Emery might have had a hit on Sunday, but she struck out against Covington on Friday, ending the inning. Covington, a freshman, pitched better than her senior counterpart on Friday night. She went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out nine. Her change-up confused the Bobcat hitters, who were instructed to take all the way on the pitch — most of the time for a strike.

“Usually the change-up is one of my pitches that is struggling,” Covington said. “Everything just came together perfectly.”

Texas State wouldn’t have a better chance to score the tying run as it went down weakly in the seventh. The disappointment of the loss began to sink in as tears streamed down faces and Woodard made the players unavailable for comment.

The Bobcats entered the tournament as the favorites, seeded first with a home-field advantage, while having the 2008 Coach, Hitter, Pitcher and Player of the Year on their roster.

However, regular season accolades don’t win postseason conference titles — a hard lesson the Texas State softball team learned on Friday night.

        

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