Stephen F. Austin
Lamar
Gann's Complete Game Anchors 1-0 Win
5/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Stephen F. Austin 1, Lamar 0
Vincent-Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas
Records: SFA (16-33, 10-17 SLC); LU (19-29, 8-17 SLC)
Up Next: at Lamar • Saturday, May 9 • 2:00 p.m.
BEAUMONT, Texas -- If Friday night's game was senior Cameron Gann's final appearance in an SFA uniform, he couldn't have scripted a better way to go out. Gann recorded the complete game shutout, allowing just four hits with eight strikeouts, including five over the final two innings, propelling SFA to a 1-0 win over Lamar.
The win snaps the Lumberjacks' four-game skid, improving to 16-33 and 10-17 in Southland Conference play. It also keeps their slim SLC tournament hopes alive as eighth-place A&M-Corpus Christi fell at Incarnate Word 6-1, moving the `Jacks to within three games of the Islanders for the final playoff spot.
Gann was in control all night on the mound for SFA, forcing Lamar to scatter its four hits on the night. He retired 12-straight Cardinals from the fourth through the eighth innings, but wasn't getting any help offensively as the Lumberjacks were struggling to get hits of their own in the pitching duel.
SFA finally broke through in the eighth as Conner Fikes drew a two-out, full count walk to give the `Jacks a baserunner. He then stole second to move into scoring position which proved crucial as Nick Ramos then registered a two-out single to center, allowing Fikes to cross the plate for the game's only run.
That one run advantage was all Gann needed. Lamar threatened in the eighth, registering a two-out double, but his second strikeout of the inning ended the threat.
The senior from Crandall then took to the mound in the ninth, striking out the first Lamar batter before a single put the tying run on first. But back-to-back strikeouts put the game into the books as Gann recorded his first complete game shutout of the season, throwing a total of 124 pitches on the night.
SFA managed only five hits on the night as Lamar starter Chase Angelle lasted 7.2 innings and recorded eight strikeouts as well, but was tagged with the loss after surrendering the lone run of the night in the eighth.
In addition to the RBI single from Ramos, Fikes, Matthew Dickey, Garrett McMullen and Hunter Wilson comprised the five-hit night for SFA.
SFA and Lamar return to the diamond at Vincent-Beck Stadium Saturday afternoon for game two of the three-game series. Left hander Dillon Mangham will be making possibly his final SFA start with the first pitch being thrown out at 2 p.m.
-SFA-
