Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana-Monroe
ULM Hands SFA First Loss Of Season
2/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 27, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Lumberjacks came back from an eight-run deficit to tie the game, but a pair of late runs by ULM proved to be just enough as a diving catch from Matt Laird ended the game and left the tying run on third base for SFA in a 10-9 Warhawk win on the opening day of the SFA Lumberjack Classic.
Bo Coffman delivered a ninth-inning single with nobody out that scored Darren Crabtree and gave the `Jacks runners at first and second, down just one run. But Warhawk reliever Will Browning coaxed a double play out of Bobby Loveless and then got Patrick Gratzke to shoot a fly ball into the left-center field gap that looked as though it was going to fall in and knot the game before Laird laid out and held onto the baseball to preserve the win with pinch runner Rene' Moreda stranded at third.
The loss snaps SFA's (4-1) season-opening win streak at four games, while ULM (2-2) snapped a two-game skid of their own. Browning picked up his second save of the season in relief of Josh Miller, who earned the win with 1.2 innings of one-run baseball.
Cody Priest took the loss for the `Jacks, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings of relief as one of six Lumberjack pitchers that saw action. Overall SFA retired 10 Warhawks on strikes in the game.
SFA had trailed by eight runs after just the first three innings after ULM mashed four home runs in the first three frames, including three off of Lumberjack starter Tyler Herriage who just lasted 1.1 innings in his second start of the season.
Ryan Priest was the catalyst of the comeback, with a pair of home runs and a career-best five RBI on the day. It was his second multi-homer game of his career, and accounted for the five of SFA's first six runs. Outfielder Garrett Smith also put together a three-hit day, while eight `Jacks picked up at least one hit.
SFA trailed 8-0 going into the top of the fourth before Priest finally got SFA on the board with his first home run, a two-run shot to left center field off of Warhawk starter Drew Granier. Two innings later he added a three-run shot to cut the lead to 8-6 before Tanner Hines cut the lead to one with a sacrifice fly and Darren Crabtree delivered an opposite-field double that carried over the head of Kelvin York with two outs to even things up at eight apiece.
But the lead was short lived as ULM as Josh Chappell shot a single up the middle off of Cody Priest one inning later that put the Warhawks ahead again. ULM added another run off of Priest to build a two-run cushion before the `Jacks made it exciting in the ninth. Crabtree reached base to lead things off when Perry Smith dropped a sure out in right field before Jarid Scarafiotti singled to give SFA a scoring chance. Coffman followed with his single, but the double play followed before Laird's highlight catch and left an excited SFA crowd in disblief.
SFA will wrap up the SFA Lumberajck Classic on Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. game versus Creighton. The `Jacks are slated to throw right-hander Jared West, while the Jays will counter with Mike Nihsek.
-SFA-
