Stephen F. Austin
Texas-Arlington
Mavs Outlast Lumberjacks
4/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 29, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - After two straight weekends on the road, the Lumberjacks got an extended look at Jaycees Field on Friday, but it was UT-Arlington that outlasted SFA for a 5-4 win in 16 innings in the series opener.
It was the longest game for SFA (28-13, 15-7 SLC) since a 19-inning game verus UT-Pan American in 1990, and is the first loss for the `Jacks in six extra-inning games this season.
Jordan Vaughn finished 5-for-7 for the Mavs (25-18, 13-9 SLC), including a two-out, two-run double off the left field wall in the top of the 16th that snapped a 2-2 tie. It was just the third hit of the day for UTA with runners in scoring position as they finished 4-for-24 on the day with runners on at least second base, stranding 21 base runners on the day.
The `Jacks answered the three-run UTA top of the 16th with two runs, but UTA reliever Collin Reynolds was able to strike out Hunter Dozier with the tying run on second base for the final out.
UTA took advantage of 12 walks issued by SFA pitchers and was able to put together each of their scoring innings after having the leadoff hitter reach base, something that happened in nine of 12 innings for the game.
Freshman John Beck got the win for the Mavs, allowing just two runs in five innings of relief, and Collin Reynolds came on to get the final three outs after the `Jacks got the tying run to the plate in the 16th to earn his first save of the season.
Reid Landers fell to 1-1 in taking the loss, allowing three unearned runs in 3.1 innings of relief, all of which came in the 16th after the Mavs got the leadoff man on via SFA's third fielding miscue of the afternoon. He was one of five pitchers the Lumberjacks used on the day with starter Jared West allowing just one run on three singles with five walks and four strikeouts in seven innings of work. His brother, Jason, kept the Mavs off the scoreboard for 4.1 innings of relief, marking the tenth consecutive appearance for the SFA stopper without allowing a run.
Offensively, SFA got three hits apiece from each of the top three hitters in the order - Bryson Myles, Garrett Smith and Darren Crabtree - but the remaining six hitters in the lineup combined to go just 2-for-33 for the game.
The `Jacks staked Jared West to an early 2-0 lead with runs in the first and third innings off of UTA starter Lance Day. SFA got the first run on three straight singles to open the game from Myles, Smith and Crabtree before Smith added an RBI double two innings later to give West room to work with.
West then did his job, allowing just one UTA hit in his first six innings of work. He finally surrendered a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Philip Incaviglia that scored Chad Comer. Still, the inning could have been worse as the Mavs loaded the bases with two outs before West got UTA's top hitter, Preston Beck, to ground out to end the threat.
But one inning later the Mavs were able to even things up off of reliever Colton Eubanks with Brian Nephew leading off with a single and moving to second on one of UTA's five sacrifice bunts on the day. One batter later Comer squared the score at 2-2 with a double into the left-field corner.
From there it was a battle of bullpens as Michael Morales and John Beck combined to shut down the `Jacks for each of the next six innings, while the SFA combination of Jason West, Justin Braddock and Reid Landers put up zeros in each of those frames for the `Jacks.
That was until the 16th, when Nephew reached to lead off for UTA on a two-base throwing error by SFA third baseman Bryce Cummings. A ground out and an intentional walk from Landers of Chad Comer followed, but after a highlight play from Max Lamantia on an attempted squeeze play by the Mavs got the second out at the plate, Vaughn hammered the go-ahead double off the left field fence to put the Mavs up 4-2. Preston Morrow followed with an RBI single up the middle, giving the Mavs a 5-2 cushion going to the bottom of the inning.
But the `Jacks made a charge, getting a single from Smith and a walk by Crabtree to bring the tying run up to the plate with nobody out. Jarid Scarafiotti answered with an RBI single to trim the deficit to just 5-3, and after Jackson Hood successfully advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, the `Jacks found themselves with two shots to tie the game. A sacrifice fly from Lamantia followed the bunt and got the `Jacks to within a run, before Reynolds delivered for the Mavs and got Dozier swinging at strike three for the game's final out.
SFA will try and even the series on Saturday when they take on the Mavs in the second game of the series. It will be a battle of lefties with UTA's Calan Pritchard getting the ball opposite Tyler Herriage for SFA. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
-SFA-
