Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State
Bearkats Complete Sweep Of SFA
5/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 8, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Sam Houston scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning and Greg Olson gunned down Jackson Hood at the plate for the final out of the game to complete a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win over the Lumberjacks on Sunday at Jaycees Field.
It is the first sweep for Sam Houston (33-17, 16-11 SLC) over SFA (30-17, 17-10 SLC) since 1995 and just the second series win over the `Jacks for the `Kats since 2006. The Lumberjacks still remain in sole possession of second place in the SLC, but trail Texas State by a full three games in the league standings.
Sam Houston had left nine men on base in the first eight innings of the game, before finally putting up a crooked number in the ninth against SFA stopper Jason West, who had his 18-inning scoreless streak come to an end. The two runs allowed were the first runs allowed by West since March 12 vs Central Arkansas.
With the `Jacks leading 2-1, Daniel Nottebart led off the ninth with a walk and Ryan Mooney put the `Jacks in a bind with a one-out double that put runners at second and third. After an intentional walk to Braeden Riley, Chris Andreas tied the game with an infield single and Mark Hudson put the `Kats out in front with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Mooney.
SFA nearly knotted it up in its half of the ninth when Hood led off with a single and stole second with two outs to get into scoring position. Jordan Lewis then shot a grounder through the right side of the infield off of lefty Brent Powers, but Olson fielded it cleanly and threw a one-hop strike in time to home plate where Doug Oney applied the tag on Hood to end the game.
West took the loss to fall to 4-2 on the year. SFA starter Zack Taylor pitched well for the `Jacks, allowing just one unearned run with no walks and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
Powers moved to 5-3 on the year with the win for the `Kats, punching out four in 3.2 innings of scoreless relief of Caleb Smith, who allowed just three hits and two runs in 5.1 innings of his own.
SFA managed just seven hits on the day, with none going for extra bases, with Hood leading the way with a 2-for-4 afternoon.
The `Kats got on the board first after three scoreless frames between the teams, when they pushed across a run in the top of the fourth when the `Jacks failed to turn a double-play try cleanly, sailing the relay throw past first base an allowing Oney to score from third base.
But the `Jacks immediately answered with two runs in its half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Jarid Scarafiotti started the rally with a one-out walk, and then went from first to third base on a single by Hood. One batter later Justin McAninch lifted a fly ball to left field to score Scarafiotti, and then after Hood had stolen the first of his two bases on the day, Riley Huble sent a 3-1 pitch up the middle to score Hood from second and give SFA its first lead of the series.
From there the `Jacks managed to work out of jams in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to hold on to the slim lead into the final third of the game. After a perfect nine-pitch eighth inning by Alex Moshier that included a pair of strikeouts, SFA turned it over to West in the ninth who for just the second time in nine tries could not convert a save opportunity.
The `Jacks will now take on Dallas Baptist at home on Tuesday in a midweek battle before going on the road beginning Friday at Southeastern Louisiana for their final three road games of the year.
-SFA-
