Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
`Jacks Win on Freeman, Hill Home Runs
3/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 3, 2006
NACOGDOCHES - Junior Brian Steinocher pitched seven solid innings against the Texas State Bobcats to help lead the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks to a 5-3 win on opening day of Southland Conference play Friday at Jaycees Field.
After giving up a double to Texas State's Jared Bunn and an RBI sacrifice hit to Luke Cannon to put Texas State on the board in the top of the first, the Lumberjacks responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the same inning.
Steinocher made his way back to the mound in the second inning and sat down 11 straight Bobcat batters, before issuing a walk, and then sending five more back to the dugout. He struck out seven of those batters. The Hallettsville, Texas, native gave up two hits, issued two walks, and struck out eight in his seven innings of work.
In the fifth inning, SFA center fielder Kyle Freeman put the Lumberjacks in the lead, 2-1, on a solo home run over the right field fence.
It was in the seventh inning that the Lumberjacks extended their lead. To lead off the inning, left fielder David Jeans had an infield single and proceeded to second base on a Texas State balk. After sophomore Buck Britton walked, the baserunners advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by the shortstop, Gabriel Garcia-Serrano. Junior Steven Hill was at the plate and launced a three-run home run over the right field wall to give the Lumberjacks a 5-1 lead over the Bobcats.
Texas State responded to the home run in the eighth inning when Cannon hit one of his own, a two-run shot off Lumberjack reliever Sammy Hardwick, to put the Bobcats within reach, 5-3. But the Bobcats' rally stopped there to give the Lumberjacks the win in the SLC opener.
Steinocher's performance earned his first win of the season to give him a 1-2 record. Scott Moore suffered the loss for Texas State and fell to 2-2.
Hill was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three runs driven in on his fourth home run of the season. Freeman was 1-of-4 with a run scored and an RBI. His solo shot was his second home run this spring.
The Lumberjacks return to the field Saturday at 2 p.m. in the second game of a three-game series against the Texas State Bobcats on Jaycees Field at the Nacogdoches Baseball Complex.
-SFA-
