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HOUSTON – The HBU softball team snapped their 10-game losing streak and clinched their first Southland Conference series victory of the season, sweeping a doubleheader from Stephen F. Austin by scores of 6-4 and 1-0 on Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
Sophomore left fielder
Nicole Shedd paced the Huskies (12-20, 4-10 SLC) at the plate across the two games, finishing 3-for-4 on the day a home run and three RBI. Freshman
Demi Janak also went deep against the Ladyjacks (16-21, 6-7 SLC) in game one, knocking her team-leading fifth homer. Shedd and Janak combined for the team's fourth multi-home run game of the season.
Senior pitchers
Laci Belovsky (7-12) and
Shannon O'Connor (3-7) each picked up wins for the Huskies in complete-game efforts. Belovsky, who also collected two hits at the plate in a 2-for-5 performance, scattered nine hits and four runs (three earned), issuing one walk and one strikeout in game one. O'Connor closed the doubleheader, throwing HBU's second shutout of the season and her first since at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on April 17, 2015, fanning a season-high five batters.
The Huskies will go for the series sweep in a noon first pitch on Saturday.
Game 1: HBU 6, Stephen F. Austin 4
SFA shortstop Courtney Chambers opened the game, reaching on a dropped fly ball and advancing to second base. The error proved costly for HBU, as Chambers stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly two batters later to give the Ladyjacks a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies responded with three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. After Janak was hit by a pitch to open the frame, Belovsky singled to put two runners on. Junior right fielder
Cecilia Bauer followed with a bunt single, as Janak scored on a throwing error on the play. Shedd then drove a single up the middle to plate both Belovsky and Bauer.
Janak added two more runs to HBU's lead in the bottom of the third, depositing a 3-1 offering over the right-center wall. Shedd followed suit with a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth push the Huskies out front, 6-1.
SFA made a push over its final two at bats, driving in three runs on five hits, for the 6-4 final.
Game 2: HBU 1, Stephen F. Austin 0
Both O'Connor and Ladyjack starter Makayla Sikes (4-8) went toe-to-toe in game two, as each went the distance.
Two errors allowed HBU to plate the game's lone run in the bottom of the third. Bauer led off the inning, reaching on a fielding error by SFA's third baseman Taylor Vick, A sacrifice bunt from senior catcher
Caitlin Gunn advanced Bauer to second base, before she stole third and scored as the result of a throwing error on the play.
