Bearkats Pulls Off Shocker Over Cardinals
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Freshman Maddie Mortimore fought off leg cramps in the third set to win the No. 5 singles 6-3 3-6 6-3 to cap the Bearkat women’s tennis team a 4-3 upset win over Lamar.
Mortimore’s victory put the winning point on the board as No. 6 seeded Sam Houston knocked off No. 3 seed Lamar on the Cardinals’ home court in the first round of the Southland Women’s Tennis Championship Friday in Beaumont.
The Bearkats now advance to face No. 2 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals.
It was a day full of drama with ups and downs for both teams.
Sam Houston earned early break points in two of the doubles pro sets but ended up losing the doubles point as Lamar won at No. 1 and 2 and the No. 3 match was abandoned.
The Bearkats, who lost four matches by narrow 4-3 matches this season, had never come back for a conference win after dropping the doubles point in 2013.
Seniors Tanya Postnikova and Nadia Dubyanskaya won at No. 1 and No. 6 singles. Postnikova defeated Carolina Salas 6-2 7-5 and Dubyanskaya battled to a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win.
The Bearkats’ first singles win came at No. 4 singles when Lamar’s Natalia Mayagoliti was forced to retire after injuring her knee at No. 4 singles. Mayagoliti was up 4-0 in the first set when the injury occurred. She tried to continue after an injury time out but retired with the score 4-1.
Sheridan Currie served for the No. 2 singles match at 6-2 5-4 but Carolina Maso battled back to win in three. After the Cardinals’ Dariya Dashutina downed Imke Jagau at No. 4, it was up to the Russian seniors.
Dubyanskaya won first to tie the match at 3-3. Battling leg craps, Mortimore took an injury time out at 4-3 then won the final two games to pull off the win.
The victory marks the second year in a row Sam Houston women’s tennis has knocked off a top seed to advance to the semifinals. The Kats knocked off No. 2 seed Texas State 4-3 in last year’s tournament.
FIRST ROUND SOUTHLAND TOURNAMENT RESULTS
SAM HOUSTON 4, LAMAR 3
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Carolina Salas/Helene Czudek (LU) def. Tatyana Postnikova/Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU), 8-6
No. 2 – Carolina Maso/Natalia Mayagoitia (LU) def. Sheridan Currie/Natalie Petaia (SHSU) 8-3
No. 3 – Alicia Porte/Dariya Dashutina (LU) vs. Maddie Mortimore/Imke Jagau (SHSU) DNF
SINGLES
No. 1 – Tatyana Postnikova (SHSU) def. Carolina Salas (LU) 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 – Carolina Maso (LU) def. Sheridan Currie (SHSU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
No. 3 – Dariya Dashutina (LU) def. Imke Jagau (SHSU) 6-1, 6-4
No. 4 – Natalie Petaia (SHSU) def. Natalia Mayagoitia (LU) 1-4, def. (injury)
No. 5 – Maddie Mortimore (SHSU) def. Alicia Porte (LU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
No. 6 – Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU) def. Helene Czudek (LU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
In other singles action Friday, Carolina Maso defeated Sheridan Currie 2-6 7-5 6-1 and Dariya Dashutina won over Imke Jagau 6-1 6-4 at No. 2 and 3 singles, respectively.
Two Bearkats Named To All-Southland Tennis Team
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Maddie Mortimore and Sheridan Currie from Sam Houston have been voted to the 2013 All-Southland Conference women’s tennis team.
Mortimore, a first team selection, also earned honors as 2013 Southland Conference No. 5 singles champion, compiling a perfect 9-0 record at the position.
The Farnham, Surrey product from Great Britian is the first freshman to go unbeaten in Southland Conference play during a complete season in the Bearkats’ 26 seasons in the league.
Mortimore finished the regular season with a 13-5 overall mark and led the Bearkats to their ninth consecutive postseason berth.
Currie, who hails from Perth in Australia, was a second team All-Southland selection. Currie won nine matches in No. 2 singles play.
The 2013 All-Southland Conference women’s tennis teams are comprised of six first-team and six second-team singles members and three first-team and three first-team and three second-team doubles teams.
Teams are chosen by vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Recipients are placed by the number of votes received.
This year, for the first time, the league is recognizing champions at each singles and doubles position.
Conference champions must have played at least 50 percent of conference matches at that position.
Results are based off winning percentage, then number of wins.
The 2013 Southland women’s tennis championship begins Friday at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center in Beaumont, Texas.
Action begins at 11 a.m. and the semifinals matches will be Saturday at 2 p.m.
The championship match is slated for 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
No. 6 seed Sam Houston will face No. 3 seed Lamar in the first round Friday.
Conference Champions
No. 1 Singles -Klaudia Gawlik, McNeese State (8-0)
No. 2 Singles- Tatiana Larina, Northwestern State (8-1)
No. 3 Singles- Renee Villarreal, Southeastern Louisiana (7-0)
No. 4 Singles- Valya Rusakova , Southeastern Louisiana (6-0)
No. 5 Singles- Maddie Mortimore , Sam Houston State (9-0)
No. 6 Singles- Isabel Brito, Southeastern Louisiana (6-1)
No. 1 Doubles- Tatiana Larina/Andrea Nedorostova, Northwestern State (7-2)
No. 2 Doubles- Polina Konop/Natalya Krutova, Northwestern State (9-0)
No. 3 Doubles- Maider Martin/Mia Matuszak, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9-0)
Player of the Year: Klaudia Gawlik – McNeese State
Freshman of the Year: Klaudia Gawlik – McNeese State
Newcomer of the Year: Valya Rusakova – Southeastern Louisiana
Coach of the Year: Jason Hayes – Southeastern Louisiana
First-Team Singles All-Conference
Klaudia Gawlik, McNeese State
Polina Konop, Northwestern State
Renee Villarreal, Southeastern Louisiana
Tatiana Larina, Northwestern State
Madeleine Mortimore, Sam Houston State
Stefania Nicolae, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Second-Team Singles All-Conference
Malena Gordo, Stephen F. Austin
Sheridan Currie, Sam Houston State
Dariya Dashutina, Lamar
Celia Rodriguez Delgado, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Carolina Salas, Lamar
Valya Rusakova, Southeastern Louisiana
First-Team Doubles All-Conference
Tatiana Larina/Andrea Nedorostova, Northwestern State
Polina Konop/Nataly Krutova, Northwestern State
Maider Martin/Mia Matuszak, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Second-Team Doubles All-Conference
Doris Kuselj/Stefania Nicolae, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Malena Gordo/Julia Lorca, Stephen F. Austin
Carolina Salas/Helene Czudek, Lamar
Tucker “Powers” Her Way To SLC “Hitter Of The Week”
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Third baseman Shelbi Tucker, who led Sam Houston to the Bearkats’ second Southland Conference series sweep of the 2013 season, was named Monday as the league’s softball “hitter of the week.”
The Kats kept pace with league leaders McNeese State and Northwestern State in the Southland race by sweeping Nicholls State with 8-7, 5-4 and 11-2 victories.
In the series-opening doubleheader, Tucker accounted for both game-winning hits including a walk-off home run in the first game to cap the Bearkats’ comeback to win 8-7 after trailing 7-3.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the senior from Montgomery knocked a three-RBI triple in the sixth inning with Sam Houston trailing 4-2 to give the Bearkats the 5-4 win.
For the weekend, Tucker hit .778 (7-for-9) with a home run, a triple and five RBI while scoring five runs.
She slugged an impressive 1.333 percent while recording an on-base percentage of .800.
Sam Houston State will close out its 2013 regular season schedule this week with a 4 p.m. non-conference doubleheader with Texas Southern and a Southland showdown series with first place McNeese State Saturday and Sunday.
First pitch both days for the Cowgirls series is 1 p.m.
Saturday will be a doubleheader while Sunday is a single game.
Bearkats Returns To “Roots” With Spring Scrimmage
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston’s 2013 spring football practice comes to a close Thursday with the annual Orange-White scrimmage held this year at Joseph Pritchett Field.
The two-time Southland Conference champion and NCAA national finalists have been working the past month to prepare for a run at a third consecutive league title next fall.
“Overall, it’s been a good spring for us,” Sam Houston head coach Willie Fritz said “We’ve had some bumps and bruises that have sidelined some of the veteran players but we’ve had a good opportunity to see what some of the young guys can do. A bunch of the freshman are going to play for us next year and we’ve had a good opportunity to get them ready.”
The Bearkats return 41 lettermen including 12 starters from last year’s 11-4 team. Two areas of major emphasis in the spring have been the offensive line and the defensive secondary. Sam Houston returns only one start in each of the two areas.
Returning first and second team All-Southland performers include quarterback Brian Bell, running back Timothy Flanders, wide receiver/wildkat back Richard Sincere, defensive tackle Gary Lorance and cornerback Bookie Sneed. Honorable mention All-Southland honorees returning include running back Keshawn Hill, defensive end Jarrett Brown and offensive guard Donald Jackson III.
The head coach looks forward to football returning to Pritchett Field if only one spring scrimmage.
Since 1986, the annual Orange-White clash has been held at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. This year the game will be held at Joseph Pritchett Field, the original home of Bearkat football.
Sam Houston and Rice played each university’s first football game at Pritchett on October 6, 1912.
“Everyone connected with Bearkat football is excited about playing back at Pritchett Field,” Sam Houston head coach Willie Fritz said. “Pritchett is where our traditions started and has been the scene of some great games. The setting will provide an amazing atmosphere for our annual spring game.”
Sam Houston has won back-to-back Southland Conference championships, roaring through the playoffs both years to reach the NCAA Division I Football National Championship game in Frisco.
The 25-5 record during the 2011 and 2012 seasons represents the highest two-year victory total in the Bearkats’ 97 seasons of football. Sam Houston has been nationally ranked in NCAA Division I FCS football for 24 consecutive weeks, finishing No. 2 in the nation each of the last two seasons.
Thursday’s scrimmage will match the offense and the defense in a variety of game-type situations.
“We’re anxious to see what some of the young guys can do in a game environment like this,” Fritz said.
Prior to the start of the 7 p.m. scrimmage, the Huntsville presentation of the Liberty Mutual “Coach of the Year” award to Sam Houston’s Willie Fritz and a $20,000 scholarship award to the university will take place.
Liberty Mutual Insurance will present Fritz with his trophy and four charities selected by Fritz and the Sam Houston Alumni Association with a combined $70,000 to support their programs in honor of the coach’s 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.
The Huntsville Police Department and SHSU University Police advice that there will be parking available in the area surrounding Joseph Pritchett Field for the annual Orange-White spring football scrimmage.
The police departments ask that patrons please respect area businesses parking areas, avoid blocking residence driveways, fire hydrants and parking in handicapped parking spaces without proper authorization.
The streets around Pritchett will be a “ticket free zone” from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday night excluding the above exceptions.