NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals suffered their first Southland Conference loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion Saturday, as the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks used a walk-off home run for a 4-2 win.
 
SFA's Brittany Lewis homered on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh off LU reliever Ciara Luna, a shot that just snuck inside the left-field foul pole, to stun the Cardinals (15-15 overall, 8-1 Southland).
 
The Cardinals got off to a good start in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Brynn Baca walked, stole second and raced into score when Kelly Meeuwsen's grounder was misplayed.
 
SFA (10-20, 2-4) evened the game at 1 in the bottom of the third when Amber Landry's two-out single scored Madison Clements. The Ladyjacks took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Landry doubled home Kiriany Hornberger with two outs. Luna came on in relief of Laura Napoli and prevented any further damage.
 
The Cardinals worked some two-out magic of their own in the sixth as Sable Hankins crushed a solo home run to left-center.
 
Luna set down SFA in order in the bottom of the sixth and retired the first two batters she faced in the seventh before Hornberger singled up the middle to set up Lewis' heroics as the Ladyjacks managed to salvage the final game of the three-game series after being swept by LU on Friday.
 
The Cardinals were limited to three hits on the day by SFA starter Callee Guffey (5-6), who started and took the loss in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader. Guffey walked two and struck out four.
 
"They outhit us and wanted it more," LU coach Holly Bruder said of the Ladyjacks. "We need to work harder in practice and our mid-week games if we are going to keep talking about championships."
 
Napoli started for LU, but did not factor in the decision. The junior right-hander allowed six hits and two runs, both earned, in 4 2/3 innings. Napoli, who struck out a career-high 10 batters on Friday, walked one and struck out two on Saturday. Luna (4-9), who tossed a complete-game victory in Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader, took the loss Saturday. She allowed two hits and two runs, in two innings. She did not walk a batter and fanned two.
 
THE STREAK CONTINUES: With her first-inning walk, Baca extended her streak of reaching base safely to 22 games, four shy of the school record of 26 set by Brittany Rodriguez last season.
 
UP NEXT: The Cardinals host Alcorn State in a non-conference doubleheader at noon Wednesday. LU is at Southeastern Louisiana for a three-game Southland Conference series starting Friday.
 
TICKETS: For tickets for all LU home games, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. Tickets are also available at the LU ticket office, located in the Montagne Center, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets will be available at the ticket window at the LU Softball Complex starting one hour prior to first pitch.