Stephen F. Austin
Illinois
Illini Shut Down `Jacks For 4-2 Win
2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2009
EDINBURG, Texas - One day after scoring a dozen runs and registering 14 hits, the SFA bats were held in check by Illinois' Aaron Martin, who tossed eight innings as Illinois defeated the `Jacks 4-2 on Saturday at the Al Ogletree Classic.
SFA (2-4) got a good outing from starter Erich Lehmann, who was coming off a disappointing first start of the year a week ago at Louisiana-Monroe. But the senior took the loss despite responding with his longest start since March of 2008, going 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. He allowed all four runs, however only two were earned.
Martin earned the win for the Illini (4-1) and has yet to allow an earned run in a 12 innings this season.
In addition to Martin's performance, Illinois also capitalized on four Lumberjack fielding errors. It was already the second time this season in only six games that SFA has committed four miscues.
Adam Bosley gave SFA hope in the ninth inning with an RBI-single with two outs to get SFA to 4-2, but with runners at first and second Illinois reliever Nick Chmielewski registered the save by striking out Gabriel Garcia-Serrano.
In all, SFA only managed seven hits on the day with Joe Staley and Brian Ferguson being the only `Jacks to pick up multiple hits. Sean Meyers also got a single in the sixth, extending his hit streak to nine games dating back to last season.
Lehmann struggled early on in the first, going to two-strike counts before allowing a double and a single to each of the first two Illini hitters. However, he did minimize the damage, getting Brandon Wikoff to ground in to an RBI fielders choice before striking out both Dominic Altobelli and Matt Dittman to get out of the inning only down 1-0.
While Aaron Martin continued to cruise for Illinois through four innings, Lehmann continued to throw well for the `Jacks. He even worked out of a jam in the bottom of the fourth, getting his sixth strikeout of the day followed by a ground out to keep a pair of Illinois runners at the corners and keep SFA within a run.
The `Jacks rewarded him an inning later by tying the score on a Garcia-Serrano sacrifice fly that scored Staley, taking advantage of an Illini wild pitch and error in the frame.
Both pitchers went back and forth with scoreless frames before Illinois took advantage of a pair of errors and a balk in the bottom of the seventh to take a 4-1 lead and chase Lehmann from the game. Pete Capetta led off with a single, and two errors later found himself on third with Craig Lutes at second before Josh Parr delivered the game-breaking single that gave the Illini a two-run advantage. They added one more in the inning before Alex Moshier came in and struck out Altobelli for the third out.
SFA wraps up the Al Ogletree Classic on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. when it takes on host UTPA. SFA was 3-0 against the Broncs a year ago and will face them two more times this season. Freshman Brett Rogers is scheduled for his second career start for SFA after going eight innings in his collegiate debut a week ago against Northwestern State.
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