Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls
Timely Hits Elude 'Jacks in 3-1 Loss at Nicholls
5/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nicholls 3, Stephen F. Austin 1
SFA Line Score | 1 • 12 • 1
Nicholls Line Score | 3 • 5 • 1
Pitching Records: W | Alex Ernestine (2-3) • L | Erik Nouis (2-3) • S | Austin Bollinger (8)
Records: Nicholls | 25-24, 12-12 Southland • Stephen F. Austin | 26-23, 14-10 Southland
Up next: at Lamar (28-21, 12-12 Southland) | Friday, May 12 | 6:00 p.m.
THIBODAUX, La. - Racking up the hits was not a difficult thing to do for the Stephen F. Austin baseball team Sunday afternoon. Driving in runs, however, proved to be much more of a challenge.
The ‘Jacks struck for 12 hits and received five additional baserunners on five walks and a hit by pitch but could not come up with a big hit at the right time in a 3-1 setback to Nicholls at Ray E. Didier Field. SFA stranded 16 men on the base paths including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth and eighth innings.
Four SFA players finished with two or more hits and leading the was was senior Alex Hrinevich who went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and SFA’s lone RBI of the day. Josh Evans, Zac Michener and Nick Ramos each collected a pair of base-knocks on the afternoon.
Aggressive base running was the plan for SFA who looked to tag Ernestine early on. Hrinevich, Jarrod Huber and Kendrick each delivered a single for the ‘Jacks in the top of the second, but Huber was thrown out at home plate after Kendrick’s base knock to end SFA’s threat in that frame. Earlier in the inning, Eric DeJesus sent a fly ball to no-man’s land in center that dropped in, but Hrinevich didn’t get a good read on the ball and was thrown out at third trying to advance.
Senior lefty Erik Nouis matched zeroes with Nicholls’ starter Alex Ernestine through the first four frames of Sunday’s series finale before the Colonels jumped out in front in the fifth. After starting the inning with a groundout, Nouis watched Gavin Wehby leg out an infield single before Ramos misplayed a one-hopper at second that put a pair of Colonels on the base paths.
The reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week recovered by getting Kyle Knauth to go down swinging but Gage Teer unloaded on a 3-1 offering from Nouis and lined a two-run double to the gap in right-center that handed Nicholls a 2-0 lead before the fifth was in the books.
Hrinevich started the ‘Jacks’ sixth with his first double of the day before both DeJesus and Kendrick drew two-out walks to load the bases. Facing Nicholls relief arm Adam Tarver, Ramos went down looking to end the frame.
The Colonels tacked on a big-time insurance run in the home half of the sixth when Gavin Wehby’s RBI groundout scored Joey Morales from third. Seth Campbell prevented any further damage by getting Teer to fly out with the bases loaded to end the sixth.
SFA’s only offense of the day came in the seventh when Evans started things with a single to right field. A wild pitch moved the junior to second before Hrinevich belted a two-out double to the right-center gap to make matters 3-1.
The ‘Jacks’ last best chance to score runs came in the top of the eighth when DeJesus, Kendrick and Ramos each drew one-out walks to load the bases. Both Evans and Michener struck out, however, putting an end to SFA’s final scoring threat of the day.
Nouis was saddled with the tough-luck loss after working 5.1 innings and striking out a pair. The only two runners the senior gave up were unearned.
With six Southland Conference games remaining on their regular season schedule, the ‘Jacks sit in seventh place in the league standings and take a trip to Lamar for a three-game league series with the Cardinals. Game one is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. Friday night from Vincent-Beck Stadium.
-SFA-
