Stephen F. Austin
Southeastern Lousiana
Lions Pitching Shuts Down 'Jacks In SLC Opener
3/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - SFA could not solve the riddle of Southeastern Louisiana starter Wade Miley, as the junior lefty picked up a complete game win over the `Jacks 9-3 in the opening game of Southland Conference play on Friday.
The Lions' (9-6, 1-0) ace, a projected first-round draft pick in the upcoming MLB draft, no-hit SFA (8-7, 0-1) through the first 4.1 innings before Adam Bosley finally laced a single through the middle for the first of the `Jacks six hits on the day. Miley would finish with eight strikeouts as opposed to only two walks, as two of the `Jacks three runs were scored on two of Miley's five wild pitches.
Erich Lehmann kept SFA in it through six innings as the `Jacks only trailed 3-1 entering the seventh, however a three-run frame on four hits opened up the lead for the Lions and drove Lehmann to the dugout in favor of Kevin Thomas. Lehmann took the loss for SFA, his first of the year, and allowed four earned runs on nine hits and a pair of strikeouts. He did not walk a batter.
The Lions did not waste time taking the lead as Xavier Qualls singled and then moved to third on a two-base throwing error on Lehmann on an attempted pickoff. Ty Summerlin followed him with one of his two hits on the day, an RBI single to center field for a 1-0 Lion lead.
SFA would tie the game in their half of the third, in an odd inning that did not see Miley allow a hit. After Bosley walked to lead things off, he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Brewer. Kai Kirby then hit a grounder up the middle that was picked up by Lions' second baseman Jordan D'Arensbourg, but he misfired on the throw and allowed Kirby to eventually reach all the way to second. Unfortunatley for SFA, Bosley was nailed out at home trying to score from second on the play. Miley would then uncork consecutive wild pitches to Zach Gardner, allowing Kirby to move up a pair of bases and cross the plate for the tying run.
Things would stay knotted at one apiece until the fifth when Brian McCants led off with a double off of Lehmann, and after a sacrifice bunt moved him to third he made it home on an RBI groundout by D'Arsenbourg. Two more hits by Hargis and Qualls pushed home another pair of runs and the Lions led 3-1 after five innings.
That would be as close as SFA would get, however, as SELA picked up three runs apiece in both the seventh and the ninth to give Miley plenty of cushion to pick up the win.
The teams will continue its series on Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch from Jaycees Field. The game can be followed via Gametracker at www.sfajacks.com.
-SFA-
