Stephen F. Austin
New Orleans
Lumberjacks Smack Privateers 16-6 in Seven-Inning Series Finale
3/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Stephen F. Austin 16, New Orleans 6 (7 inn.)
Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (10-11, 1-5 SLC); UNO (15-5, 4-2 SLC)
Up Next: Houston Baptist • Tuesday, March 22 • 6:30 p.m.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin baseball team tallied a season-high 16 runs on 18 hits in just six innings to storm past New Orleans 16-6 on Sunday afternoon at Jaycees Field. The Lumberjacks needed just seven innings to grab the 10-run victory with the run rule taking effect.
SFA scored in each of the first six innings in Sunday’s series finale with production coming from up and down the lineup. Tyler Kendrick and Slayton Vaughan led the way with four hits apiece, combining for four runs and four RBI. Kyle Thornell and Garrett McMullen each went deep for the ‘Jacks with McMullen driving in a team-best four runs on two hits.
Conner Fikes (3-for-5) and Matthew Dickey (2-for-3) rounded out SFA’s five players who posted multi-hit games. The duo teamed up to account for five runs and four RBI.
Junior pitcher Patrick Ledet (W, 2-0) went the distance on the mound, allowing six runs – four earned – on seven hits in a complete 7.0 innings for SFA. He surrendered just one walk while striking out five batters en route to claiming the winning decision.
The ‘Jacks opened the scoring with four runs in the first inning and never trailed from there. With two outs, Fikes powered a high fly ball deep to the gap in right center for a two-run triple. Vaughan followed with a single to left center to bring in two more runs and make it 4-0 lead in favor of SFA.
New Orleans put up two runs in the fourth and notched a single run in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings but SFA had an answer every time.
Dickey walked and later scored on a passed ball to spark a three-run second. With two away, McMullen uncorked a two-run homer to left field, bringing Kendrick in to score with him. His team-high fifth long ball of the year extended SFA’s advantage to 7-1 after two complete.
Vaughan fired a double down the left field line in the third inning and later capitalized on a Privateer throwing error to dash home. The UNO miscue gave SFA an 8-2 cushion.
The ‘Jacks continued to build their lead with RBI singles off the bats of Michener, Dickey and Kendrick in the fourth. With five hits leading to another four-spot in the frame, SFA found itself up 12-4.
Thornell unleashed his second home run of the year – a solo shot to left center – as part of SFA’s two-run fifth. Vaughan later sent a single through the right side of the infield to bring Fikes in to score.
SFA capped the offensive explosion with two runs in the sixth courtesy of a McMullen RBI single.
Up 16-6 after UNO finished batting in the seventh, the game was called due to the getaway day run-rule.
The Lumberjacks will next be in action on Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. for a non-conference matchup with Houston Baptist at Jaycees Field.
-SFA-
