'Jacks Suffer 11-4 Loss at No. 10-Ranked Texas A&M

Tuesday, February 20

College Station, Texas

6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

0-5

Texas A&M

4-0

Stephen F. Austin

Texas A&M

Photo by: Texas A&M Photography

'Jacks Suffer 11-4 Loss at No. 10-Ranked Texas A&M

2/20/2018 10:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Cody Williams and Jared Martin rack three of SFA's four RBI

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

Box Score

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Matched up against a top-ten ranked team for the first time in 2018, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team found itself unable to keep up with the high-powered offense of No. 10-ranked Texas A&M as the 'Jacks fell 11-4 Tuesday night at Blue Bell Park.

Two of the 'Jacks' seven hits on the night came off the bat of Jared Martin who finished with one RBI as well as one of SFA's two doubles in the non-conference tilt. In addition to Martin, SFA also received two RBI off the bat of Cody Williams who laced a double down the left field line in the 'Jacks' three-run eighth inning.

In all, SFA was outhit 12-7 and surrendered at least one run in seven of the eight innings in which Texas A&M stepped to the plate.

Control issues continued to wreak havoc with the 'Jacks' pitching staff as seven SFA arms combined to issue 12 walks. SFA, however, did do an excellent job at keeping the damage to a minimum as they stranded 14 runners on base and turned one double play.

Right from their first at-bat the Aggies jumped on SFA. Nic Minor's one-out single in the first was erased after Josh Evans hit into one of two inning-ending double plays on the night and in Texas A&M's first set of at-bats leadoff man Zach DeLoach cranked a solo home run over the left field fence on senior Cole Ridgely's 1-0 pitch.

In each of the first five innings Texas A&M plated at least one run and broke things open in the bottom of the fourth by adding a trio of runs on four walks, one hit by pitch and one hit.

That three-run fourth by the home team came after Jared Martin broke up the Aggies' shutout bid with a two-out RBI double that scored Josh Evans and trimmed A&M's advantage to 4-1.

Texas A&M extended its lead to 10-1 after seven, getting a pair of triples in that frame. One of them came off the bat of Brandon Shewmake who finished 2-for-5 with a game-best three RBI for the Aggies.

Finally, in the eighth, the 'Jacks were able to string together some offense. Jhon Santos started the frame by reaching on an error before Kyle Cullen rapped a single up the middle. That set the table for Williams who turned on a 1-0 offering from A&M relief arm Mason Cole and stung it down the left field line.

Skylar Black brought Williams home with an RBI single to left field before SFA's eighth came to an end.

DeLoach hit for the cycle for Texas A&M and scored five of the Aggies' 10 runs. For SFA, Ridgely suffered the loss after throwing four frames of six-hit, four-run baseball. The senior posted two of the 'Jacks' six strikeouts on the night - a number that was matched by Logan Ammons who fired 1.1 frames.

After beginning the season with five games on the road or at neutral sites, the 'Jacks are scheduled to make their home debut on Saturday afternoon in a five-team invitational. Bradley, South Dakota State, Southern Miss and UT-Arlington will head to Jaycees Field to take part in the three-day tournament with SFA's first action coming at 3:00 p.m. Saturday against Bradley.

-SFA-