Stephen F. Austin
West Virginia
Eight-Run First Inning Costly in SFA Loss
3/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin baseball team allowed three home runs, including a grand slam in an eight-run first inning, as the Lumberjacks fell 14-5 to West Virginia on Tuesday afternoon at Jaycees Field. The loss drops the `Jacks to 7-18 this season and wraps up a four-game homestand.
The Mountaineers (11-10) did most of their damage in the first inning of Tuesday's non-conference contest, scoring eight runs on five hits in the opening frame. After building a 2-0 lead, Shaun Wood hit a grand slam to right field and Taylor Munden hit a two-run home run to left to make it an 8-0 game before the `Jacks stepped to the plate.
SFA got on the board in the second inning on a string of Mountaineer miscues to cut the deficit to 8-1. Garrett McMullen and Kyle Thornell each got hit by an Adam Keller pitch to put two runners aboard. With Holden Holsomback at the plate, Keller threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt at first base and McMullen scampered home when the throw traveled into right field.
The Mountaineers added two more runs in the third and fifth innings to build their largest lead of the game at 12-1.
The `Jacks answered with three straight runs, starting in the fifth. Just as in the second, consecutive SFA batters - Thornell and Eric DeJesus - got hit by a pitch to start the inning. After both runners advanced 90 feet on a passed ball, Holsomback recorded the first hit of the game for the `Jacks - an RBI single to first base scoring Thornell. Brandon Smith followed with an RBI groundout to plate DeJesus, making it a 12-3 ballgame.
In the sixth, Cameron Salvaggio ripped a single to center and later scored on an RBI single off the bat of DeJesus, making it 12-4.
After West Virginia put up two more unearned runs in the seventh, SFA capped the scoring with a final run in the bottom of the ninth. Anthony Soriano doubled deep to the gap in right center, advanced a bag on a wild pitch and touched home on a fielding error to make it 14-5.
The Lumberjacks committed four errors and issued 10 walks on the afternoon.
SFA relief pitchers Chris Hassold, Travis Stone and Patrick Ledet closed the game strong, each tossing an inning. The trio didn't surrender an earned run while limiting WVU to just one hit and striking out five batters.
Pat Day (0-1) took the loss for SFA while Seth Jordan (1-0) was credited with the winning decision for WVU.
The Lumberjacks will return to Southland Conference action this weekend when they travel to Corpus Christi for a three-game series with the Islanders starting on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m.
-SFA-
