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Softball: Stewart delivers heroic effort

Kevin Foote, The Advertiser, May 22, 2016

 

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Ragin’ Cajuns’ pitcher Alex Stewart jumps for joy after the final out was recorded in Sunday’s 9-8 win over Texas A&M.(Photo: LEE CELANO/THE ADVERTISER)

 

After the whirlwind of emotions she had been through over the past 10 days, it certainly sounded like the best route to go.

When UL ace right-hander Alex Stewart was asked to reflect on the roller coaster ride she’s been on since the start of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, she simply declined to do so.

“I’m not thinking about it,” Stewart said after running her record to 29-4 on the season in Sunday’s 9-8 win over Texas A&M to lift the No. 9-ranked UL Ragin’ Cajuns to the Super Regionals for the fifth straight season.

“I’m just focused on getting back to work.”

That’s quite a productive mentality for a junior pitcher who had just thrown 176 intense pitches over nine innings to help her team stay alive on its NCAA Road to Oklahoma City.

Of course, just because Stewart needs to look forward doesn’t mean we can’t reflect a little bit on her road that led to this weekend’s heroic effort.

After pitching just 10.1 with a 9.48 ERA in her freshman season, Stewart appeared headed for another season without a ton of innings last season as well. Then came a midseason trip on March 29 at Texas State when out of the blue, the Cajuns – without hospitalized head coach Michael Lotief on the trip – called up the little-used Stewart and she delivered in a huge way with a four-hit shutout on no walks and 11 strikeouts.

That proved to be a brief glimpse of what was to come this season when Stewart emerged as the clear-cut ace of UL’s pitching staff. She pitched like an ace should all season long.

After throwing a one-hitter in the regular season finale against UL Monroe, Stewart discussed the postseason challenge that was to come. She admitted it was going to be a different task than the regular season, but that she was ready for it.

At the time, there was no reason to doubt that confidence.

Then came an unsettling 9-7 win over Texas State in game two of the Sun Belt tourney which saw Stewart walk nine and be called for a multitude of illegal pitches.

In the championship game the next day, Stewart only lasted one batter before being pulled with more illegal-pitch issues.

Most of the discussion surrounding this NCAA Lafayette Regional this past week centered around Stewart and if the adjustments had been made.

She passed the first test with an ‘A-plus’ on Saturday with no walks and just a precious few illegal pitches in a 9-1 win over Texas.

And Stewart was cruising midway through Sunday’s final game against Texas A&M, leading 6-2 with two out and a runner on first in the bottom of the fifth.

Then that roller coaster ride took another abrupt turn downward. By the time Stewart left the fifth, the game was tied at 6-6. By the time, she finished the sixth, the Aggies had taken an 8-6 lead.

Both Stewart and the No. 14-seeded Cajuns were on the ropes.

Instead of caving under the pressure, though, Stewart found her way back up to another peak.

Not only did she somehow muster up enough stamina in her 176-pitch outing to finish Sunday’s 9-8 win with four shutout innings to allow the power display of Aleah Craighton and DJ Sanders to win it, but she did it with gusto.

There was nothing stoic about Stewart’s effort Sunday.

She was reacting to every pop fly and pumping her fist after every strikeout. She was pouring her heart out in the circle and hoping it would be enough to pull her teammates through against one of the toughest lineups she’s faced all season long.

“I told myself during the week that I was bringing back the emotions,” Stewart said.

Perhaps the most satisfying moment of her entire performance, though, came in the eighth. With the game still tied and the Aggies getting their lead-off hitter on with a single, clean-up hitter Ashley Walters hit a hard grounder up the middle that Stewart snagged.

It’s no secret, the weakest part of Stewart’s game is throwing to the bases as a fielder.

Initially, she hesitated. Then she fired a strike to shortstop Sanders, who quickly completed the double play.

“My first reaction was not to do that (throw to second),” Stewart said. “Then I decided to go for it. That was just going for it. DJ stood her ground.”

It was the signature moment in a performance that won’t go down as a statistical success for Stewart, but may be the gutsiest.

Lotief certainly appreciated it.

“I wasn’t making a change,” Lotief said. “I wasn’t saving anybody for an ‘if’ game. I didn’t want any part of an ‘if’ game after that game. The ‘if’ was the last three innings she threw.”

Ask who he would have pitched if that ‘if necessary’ game would have been available, Lotief didn’t hesitate with his answer.

It would have been Stewart.

She would have been exhausted.

But as evidenced by her effort Sunday, also more than up for the challenge.

UL pitcher Alex Stewart greets fans after the Cajuns'

UL pitcher Alex Stewart greets fans after the Cajuns’ 9-8 victory over Texas A&M in the championship game Sunday. (Photo: LEE CELANO/THE ADVERTISER)