Feb. 19, 2008

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team will try to continue its perfect start to the 2008 season Wednesday, when the Ladyjacks head to College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M. SFA will square off with the Aggies in a doubleheader, set to start at 3 p.m.

SFA enters the game riding the momentum of its best start since the 1988 season, when the Ladyjacks opened the year with a 6-0 record. This year's version of the Ladyjacks is 4-0 with doubleheader sweeps against Texas-El Paso at home and Prairie View A&M on the road.

SFA is coming off a pair of run-rule-shortened shutouts at Prairie View A&M. The Ladyjacks defeated the Panthers, 8-0, in six innings in the opener and collected a 10-0 verdict in five innings in the nightcap. In all, SFA has outscored its opponents by a combined count of 33-10, this season.

The Ladyjacks hit .380 as a team, led by sophomore outfielder Kendal Harper's .727 average. Freshman Ashley Struchtemeyer's .583 average is third on the team, and she leads the squad with two home runs. Sophomore third baseman Briana Bishop and junior catcher Kim Daley share the team RBI lead with six runs driven in apiece.

The SFA pitching staff carries a 2.24 ERA behind the 0.53 average put up by freshman ace Monika Covington. Covington is 2-0 with a pair of complete games, one shutout and 12 strikeouts against just nine hits for the season. Classmate Lauren Luetge is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA. She is coming off a complete-game, one-hit shutout at Prairie View. Luetge recorded nine strikeouts in five innings in that game.

The Ladyjacks face a tough challenge in Texas A&M. The Aggies are 9-2 overall and ranked No. 3 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll. A&M already has a win against then-No. 1 Arizona and is coming off a 10-4 victory over No. 15 Washington.

The Aggies are led by a potent one-two punch in the pitcher's circle. Megan Gibson is 6-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 31 strikeouts this season. Amanda Scarborough enters Wednesday's action with a 3-2 mark, a 2.57 ERA and 25 strikeouts. Scarborough also leads the team at the plate, batting .438 with two home runs and a team-best 11 RBI. The Aggies hit .298 as a team and have outscored their opponents, 60-23, for the season.

-- SFA --