Stephen F. Austin
South Dakota State
SFA Takes Weekend Series Against SDSU
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game One:
South Dakota State 12, Stephen F. Austin 0
Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
WP: Anderson (1-1) • LP: Mangham (0-3) • SV: None
Records: SFA (3-8); SDSU (2-4)
Game Two:
Stephen F. Austin 8, South Dakota State 7
Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
WP: Greene (1-2) • LP: Heemstra (0-1) • SV: Wiedenfeld (3)
Records: SFA (4-8); SDSU (2-5)
Up Next: at #2 LSU • Tuesday, Mar. 3 • Baton Rouge, La. • 6:30 p.m.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin split the Saturday double header to win its first series of the 2015 season, taking two out of three against South Dakota State at Jaycees Field. The Lumberjacks suffered a 12-0 pummeling in game one, but rebounded to rally past the Jackrabbits in game two, taking an 8-7 decision.
Little went right for the Lumberjacks in game one against South Dakota State as the Jackrabbits scored three times each in the first, third and fourth innings to race out to a 9-0 lead. SDSU would score three more runs over the sixth and seventh innings and kept SFA off the scoreboard through the duration as the `Jacks scattered eight hits on the day.
SFA only had a runner in scoring position three times in game one as starter Dillon Mangham took the loss, allowing nine runs (four earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings, throwing 102 pitches. Matthew Dickey and Conner Fikes each logged a pair of hits for the `Jacks with four others finishing the total.
The second game of the day proved to be much more entertaining for both sides as South Dakota State once again raced out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a trio of runs in the second inning. SFA responded in the bottom half of the inning, beginning with an RBI single from Anthony Soriano, scoring Dan O'Neill. With the bases loaded, Garrett McMullen hit into a double play, but he was able to bring Tyler Boxwell home from third in the process, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
After the Jackrabbits added a run in the top half of the third, SFA responded once again. Loading the bases thanks to a single from Fikes and a pair of walks, O'Neill then connected on a single up the middle, scoring Fikes from third. That was followed by a single to right from Soriano, scoring Kyle Thornell as the `Jacks tied the game at 4-4 after three.
Two more Jackrabbit runs in the top of the fourth pushed the lead to two at 6-4, a lead that stood until the bottom of the fifth when both Thornell and Boxwell blasted solo home runs one batter apart as the duo each notched their first round trippers of the year to tie the game at 6-6 after five.
South Dakota State answered with a solo home run of its own in the top half of the sixth, taking the lead once again at 7-6. SFA finally claimed its first lead of the game in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a two-RBI single from O'Neill to left, scoring Fikes and Dickey as the `Jacks took the lead 8-7.
That set up an impressive performance from the Lumberjack bullpen over the final three innings as Austin Smith and Tyler Wiedenfeld held the Jackrabbits to just one hit and no runs, striking out four in the process. Smith pitched the seventh with Wiedenfeld pitching the eighth and ninth to earn the six-out save, his third of the season.
Jarred Greene picked up his first win of the season for SFA, pitching 2.0 innings and allowing just one run on one hit and a pair of strikeouts. Starter Grant Page lasted 3.0 innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits with a strikeout. Travis Stone also registered 1.0 inning, allowing one hit with no runs and a pair of strikeouts as well.
The 4-7 slots in the lineup proved to be a thorn in the Jackrabbits' side in the nightcap, going a combined 7-for-13 with all seven RBIs and five runs scored. Soriano went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as O'Neill posted a 2-for-3 night with three runs batted in. Dickey also had a pair of hits in game two, finishing 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
SFA now improves to 4-8 on the season, taking its first series of the 2015 season. The Lumberjacks improved to 3-4 at Jaycees Field and are now 3-2 in one-run games on the year as Wiedenfeld has picked up the save in all three victories.
Up next for the Lumberjacks is a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a date with second-ranked LSU on Tuesday, March 3rd for a 6:30 p.m. opening pitch at Alex Box Stadium. The `Jacks then return home to open up the 2015 Southland Conference schedule, facing Central Arkansas in a three-game series March 6-8 at Jaycees Field.
-SFA-
