Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
'Jacks Fall to Texas State
3/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 5, 2006
NACOGDOCHES - In similar fashion to the second game of the series, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack baseball team got 4.1 strong innings from its starting pitcher, but couldn't hold the lead falling to Texas State, 7-3, Sunday afternoon. The `Jacks are now 4-13 (.308) on the season and 1-2 (.667) in Southland Conference play.
The Lumberjacks cracked the scoreboard first when freshman Gabe Garcia-Serrano led off the inning with the first of his three singles on the day. After Garcia-Serrano advanced to third on a failed pick off and a sacrifice by Kyle Freeman, catcher Steven Hill drove in Garcia-Serrano with a sacrifice to center field.
Sophomore David Miller made the lead stand into the fifth inning, as he went 4.1 innings striking out three batters on the day, but ran into some trouble in the fifth. After walking the leadoff and third batters of the inning, Miller surrendered a double to Bobcat centerfielder Heath Keel to tie the game. SFA head coach Donnie Watson brought in freshman Erik Gregersen in relief, and he got SFA out of the inning but not before Texas added two more runs.
The Lumberjacks battled right back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore Buck Britton reached second base on an error by the Bobcat shortstop and Garcia-Serrano followed with a single down the left field line. With runners at second and third, and only one out, Britton scored on a passed ball and Garcia-Serrano tied the game when he scored on Freeman's sacrifice to center field.
The Bobcats were back on the attack two innings later when they got two runners aboard for clean-up hitter Cody Merrell. Merrell gave Texas State a three-run lead with his second home run of the season. Texas State would tack on another run in the eighth to close out the scoring.
Garcia-Serrano finished the day 3-for-3 at the plate and scored two of the `Jacks three runs. Junior David Jeans finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate, while Freeman and Hill each recorded one RBI.
The Lumberjacks return to action Friday when they travel to Monroe, La., to take on ULM. The game against the Indians is slated for a 6 p.m. start.
-SFA-
