Kats take Battle of the Piney Woods

Tuesday, April 7

Nacogdoches

5:00 PM

25-18

Stephen F. Austin

22-19

Sam Houston

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: Sarah Bautista

Kats take Battle of the Piney Woods

4/7/2026 8:13:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Sam Houston claimed a 7-6 victory over its Battle of the Piney Woods rival behind a record-breaking performance Tuesday night.

Veronica Harrison put the Bearkats (25-18, 9-6 Conference USA) on the board after an early deficit, blasting her 14th home run of the season to set a new single-season program record.

The game opened in favor of Stephen F. Austin (22-19, 6-9 Southland Conference), as the Lumberjacks scored five runs on four hits in the first inning. SFA maintained control through the second, holding Sam Houston scoreless until the top of the third.

The Bearkats responded with a surge at the plate, tallying six hits in the inning, including a triple, three doubles and a home run to tie the game. Ripley Welker ignited the rally with a triple, followed by an RBI double from Sophia Lundstrom. The Lumberjacks answered in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead.

Both teams traded momentum until the sixth inning, when Lundstrom delivered an RBI single to even the score once again. Sam Houston took its first lead of the night in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Kyla Heine.

The Bearkats closed out the win by holding SFA scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, finishing with 12 hits, including three doubles, one triple and one home run.

Abigail Young earned the win in relief, recording five strikeouts while allowing just one hit after entering the second inning.

Sam Houston returns home to host Missouri State in a three-game series April 10-12 at the Bearkat Softball Complex in Huntsville.