Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
'Jacks Drop 6-3 Decision to Cowboys
5/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
McNeese State 6, Stephen F. Austin 3
Cowboy Diamond · Lake Charles, La.
Records: SFA (15-32, 9-16 SLC); McN (27-20, 16-10 SLC)
Up Next: at McNeese State · Sunday, May 3 · 1:00 p.m.
LAKE CHARLES, La. -- Stephen F. Austin built a 3-2 lead on host McNeese State Saturday afternoon, but the Cowboys used a late charge to topple the Lumberjacks 6-3 at Cowboy Diamond. The loss drops SFA to 15-32 on the year and 9-16 in Southland Conference play and puts the `Jacks postseason hopes on thin ice.
As it did in game one, SFA found itself in an early hole, thanks to a two-run home run by the Cowboys in the first inning, putting the Lumberjacks behind 2-0. SFA would get one back in the top of the second, thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Garrett McMullen that scored Conner Fikes and cut the deficit to 2-1.
SFA evened the score at 2-2 in the fourth off an RBI single from Holden Holsomback, then rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Fikes, scoring Nick Ramos.
However the Lumberjacks struggled to get hits all afternoon against McNeese as the Cowboys retired the final 14 SFA batters, giving the `Jacks just five hits on the day. During the hitting slump, McNeese scored the equalizer in the bottom of the fifth, then recorded one in the seventh and two more in the eighth to secure the series win over SFA and handing the `Jacks their third-straight loss.
Zach Valenzuela led the way for SFA on the day, recording two of the Lumberjacks' five hits. Ramos, Holsomback and Kyle Thornell scattered the other three as SFA left eight runners on base on the day.
Dillon Mangham took the loss for SFA, allowing four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts, giving up the go-ahead run in the seventh to get the loss. Grant Page, Patrick Day and Travis Stone combined to pitch the eighth inning for SFA, allowing two runs on three hits.
SFA now tries to salvage the final game of the weekend series against McNeese, beginning at 1 p.m. at Cowboy Diamond. Right hander Jarred Greene gets the nod for the `Jacks as SFA knows its back is against the wall as one more loss or one more A&M-Corpus Christi victory eliminates the Lumberjacks from postseason contention.
-SFA-
