Stephen F. Austin
Dallas Baptist
Gardner, Hill Lead SFA Past Patriots
4/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2007
DALLAS - Zach Gardner and Steven Hill led the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks to a 4-3 win over the Dallas Baptist Patriots Wednesday night to give SFA its third straight win. The victory gives the Lumberjacks a 21-18 overall record while sending the Patriots' season mark to 20-18.
In the top of the first, Gardner led off with a center field single and then stole second. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Gardner scored to give SFA an early 1-0 lead when Jared Pitts doubled to right field.
But the Patriots responded in the bottom of the first to take the lead. The lead-off hitter, Austin Knight, singled to left field and then scored when Garrett Baker homered over the center field wall to give DBU the 2-1 lead.
It was in the third inning SFA put together a small rally to regain the lead. With one out, Hill was issued a walk. He advanced to second when Pitts singled to left field. Kevin Crabtree then gave the Lumberjacks the 3-2 edge over the Patriots when he doubled to left field to send Hill and Pitts across the dish.
DBU then tied the score at three in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Santos led off with a right field single and advanced to second when Will Stramp was hit by a pitch. Brandon Bantz then hit an infield single and advanced to second when Santos scored the tying run.
In the top of the seventh, Hill broke the tie. With a new DBU pitcher on the mound, Hill hit his 16th home run of the year over the left field wall to give the Lumberjacks a 4-3 lead.
SFA then called on southpaw Heath Konesheck and Richard Folmer to close the game. The duo gave up three hits and two walks in three innings. Konesheck struck out one and Folmer fanned four as he earned his third save of the season.
Kevin Thomas, who pitched a third of inning in relief, earned the win to take move his season record to 2-3.
Gardner collected three hits in five at-bats and scored one run. He also had a career-high three stolen bases. Jared Pitts was 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI. Hill, Crabtree, and Noel Trevino each contributed with one hit apiece to make up SFA's eight hits. Crabtree also had two RBI.
The Lumberjacks will look to add to their current three-game win streak this weekend when SFA hosts Southland Conference leader Texas-San Antonio for a three-game series starting Friday at 3 p.m. from Jaycees Field. Saturday's and Sunday's games will begin at 1 p.m.
-SFA-
