Stephen F. Austin
Northwestern State
SFA Goes Extras Again To Clinch Series
3/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2011
NATCHITOCHES, La. - For the second consecutive game the Lumberjacks found themselves in extra innings against Northwestern State, and for the second consecutive game it was a Lumberjack catcher that delivered the go-ahead blow as Riley Huble's two-out RBI double gave the `Jacks a 7-6 win in 12 innings over the Demons on Saturday at Brown-Stroud Field.
SFA (15-5, 5-0 SLC) had not led the entire afternoon, falling behind 5-0 after just four innings before the bats finally started to show life. The `Jacks got six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie it up before Huble's shot in the 12th gave SFA its 10th consecutive win, the second-longest win streak in program history.
It was the second straight game the Lumberjack offense spoiled an otherwise solid start from a Demon (5-13, 1-4 SLC) starter after Jacob Williford more than doubled his season strikeout total with nine punch outs while allowing six runs - three earned - in 6.2 innings in taking a no-decision.
The win also clinched the series for the `Jacks, marking the first time since 1992 that SFA has won a series from the Demons. With one more win SFA will earn its first three-game sweep of the Demons since the 1988 season.
Colton Eubanks earned his first win of the as the final piece of a stellar showing from the SFA bullpen, as four arms combined to allow just a single unearned run in eight innings of relief in lowering the overall bullpen ERA to 1.57 for the season.
Offensively the `Jacks only had one infield hit through the first five innings against Williford, but finished with a dozen hits in the final seven frames. Bryson Myles and Jackson Hood led the lineup with three hits apiece, with Myles picking up three RBI and his second homer of the year, and Hood reaching base in each of his final four at-bats, including scoring the winning run on Huble's two-bagger.
It was a rough start for SFA starter Jared West, who pitched out of a jam in the first before allowing a run apiece to the Demons in both the second and third innings. Northwestern State then broke it open in the fourth with a three-run inning on the strength of two RBI hits and a throwing error.
The `Jacks finally got something going against Williford in the sixth when Myles hammered an 0-1 pitch over the left-field fence with a man on for just SFA's third hit of the day, cutting the lead to 5-2.
Chris Hebert got one of those back for the Demons with an RBI grounder in the bottom of the inning, but the `Jacks managed to bat around and get to the Demon bullpen in the seventh to tie it up, 6-6. Jordan Lewis and Hood got it started with a single and a walk to lead off the inning, and two batters later Bryce Cummings picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded. Myles and Garrett Smith followed that with consecutive RBI singles against reliever Brett Robertshaw, but it was a two-out throwing error on shortstop Dan Meyer that allowed the tying to come in.
Fabian Arcizo followed that with a scoreless seventh before handing it over to Cory Ochs, who struck out four hitters in three scoreless innings through the 10th.
Both teams had legitimate scoring opportunities in the extra frames, with the `Jacks squandering a leadoff double from Hood in the 10th, while the Demons fell victim to a pair of heady defensive plays from Lewis in the 11th and were unable to cash in on a leadoff double from Colin Bear.
Finally, in the 12th SFA was able to strike against Demon reliever Brett Fredieu. A two-out walk to Hood was all the ammunition the `Jacks needed as Huble launched the first pitch he saw into the left-center field gap for a double that plated Hood from first to give the `Jacks their only lead of the game.
Eubanks then had to pitch out of a two-out jam in the home half of the inning, but got Meyer to ground out to shortstop to close it out.
The `Jacks will go for its second straight series sweep on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. when Zack Taylor gets the start against sophomore lefty Colin Bear.
-SFA-
