Stephen F. Austin
Baylor
`Jacks Just Miss Upset In Waco
3/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 2, 2008
WACO, Texas - Through seven and a half innings the Lumberjack baseball team had the nation's No. 13 on the ropes, but the Baylor Bears found just enough late-inning offense to stave off the `Jacks and pick up a 4-3 win in the final game of the QTI Baylor Classic on Sunday.
The Bears (7-0) remain the only undefeated team in the Big 12 with the win, while the `Jacks (4-4) will have eight of their next nine games at home, including a three-game set with Southeastern Louisiana to open up SLC play in just less than two weeks.
Jared Schrom (0-1) took the loss for SFA, while Mace Thurman picked up his first win of the year for the Bears after entering in relief in the sixth inning. Erik Forestiere pitched the final two innings for Baylor, picking up his first save of the season as well.
Baylor starter Willie Kempf got an ending-inning double-play to get out of the first, and then Bears' third baseman Shaver Hansen gave him the lead with a one-out solo home run to right field off of `Jacks starter Erich Lehamann to give Baylor a 1-0 lead.
The Bears would not waste much time in the second building upon that lead, using a Adam Hornung walk to lead things off followed by an RBI triple by Dustin Dickerson down the right field line to plate Baylor's second run. But Lehmann would keep Dickerson standing on third for the next three outs, getting a pair of fly outs around a strikeout of center fielder Paul Miles to minimize the damage.
After Kempf set the bottom of the `Jacks' lineup down in order in the top of the third, Ben Booker made it 3-0 Baylor by taking Lehmann's second pitch high over the right-center field fence for his first home run of the year.
SFA finally got its first hit in the fourth when Zach Gardner led off with a single deep into the hole at short. Two batters later he found himself sitting on third after back-to-back wild pitches by Kempf. One batter later it was Kevin Croft that made cut SFA's deficit to two runs, driving Gardner home with a two-out single in front of Bears' left fielder Ben Booker. Lehmann would keep the momentum on SFA's side by setting Baylor down in order in the bottom half of the fourth.
The `Jacks put together tried to put together a two-out rally in the top of the fifth, with Kai Kirby reaching on an error by Kempf on an attempted bunt single to get it started; however, after Jeff Brewer was hit by a pitch and Gardner walked, Noel Trevino couldn't cash in and hit a two-hopper to shortstop that Beamer Weems had no problem with to get Baylor out of the inning cleanly.
Lehmann made it through the fifth inning, keeping SFA within two runs at 3-1, with Jared Schrom taking over in the fifth against the heart of the Baylor lineup. Schrom got the first two hitters of the inning with a couple of ground outs before hitting Hornung. Dickerson followed him with a soft single in front of Kirby in right field, but the junior transfer played it on one hop and threw out Hornung at third base by two steps for his second outfield assist in as many days to get the third out of the frame.
Noel Trevino took Lehmann off of the hook for the loss when he made the Bears pay for committing their third error of the day in the top of the seventh. Jeffrey Kello led off with a solid single to left and was sacrificed to second by Kirby one batter later. Brewer followed Kirby with a chopper to Bears' third baseman Shaver Hansen, but Hansen made a wild throw to first that allowed Kello to move to third and Brewer to second. Two batters later, Trevino took a two-out, 3-2 pitch back through the middle to plate both runners and knot the score at three apiece.
The Bears were quick on the draw in their half of the seventh, though, using a pair of walks from Schrom to get runners on first and second with two outs. Hansen then dinked a soft fly into left field that Kevin Crabtree could not come up with, scoring Paul Miles from second and giving Baylor back the lead at 4-3. Schrom then walked Weems, but got tournament MVP Aaron Miller to go down swinging to get out of the inning.
Forestiere then came on and retired all six of the Lumberjacks he saw, including Jeff Brewer's fly out in the ninth to seal the deal for Baylor.
Matt Whatley was named to the all-tournament team as the designated hitter after hitting a pair of home runs with six RBI during the three-game tournament.
The `Jacks get little time off, as they will take on Dallas Baptist at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday from Jaycees Field. They will then host a four-game series with Sacred Heart beginning on Thursday.
-SFA-
