'Jacks' Ninth-Inning Rally Spoiled by UTA's Walk-Off Single in 10-9 10-Inning Loss

Monday, February 26

Arlington, Texas

1:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

0-7

UT Arlington

3-2

Stephen F. Austin

UT Arlington

'Jacks' Ninth-Inning Rally Spoiled by UTA's Walk-Off Single in 10-9 10-Inning Loss

2/26/2018 5:08:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Martin forces extras with two-out, two-run homer in the ninth

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

ARLINGTON, Texas - Down by four runs in the ninth, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team constructed an incredible comeback bid which was capped by freshman Jared Martin's game-tying two-run homer in the 'Jacks' six-hit frame, but UT Arlington ended things with Omar Salinas' walk-off single in the 10th in a 10-9 setback for the 'Jacks Monday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.

Martin, Skylar Black, Josh Campbell and Nic Minor each finished with a trio of hits while accounting for six of the 'Jacks' nine RBI in the team's ninth-straight setback dating back to last season. The four aforementioned individuals played a large part in helping the 'Jacks outhit the Mavericks 17-15, but the hosts turned a 3-1 deficit into an 8-3 advantage by plating seven runs through the fifth and sixth innings.

In search of his first pitching win of the season, senior Trevor Kiminski did a fine job of keeping the Mavericks' bats at bay in his second start of 2018. Salinas' first hit of the game was a two-out RBI single in the third which handed UT Arlington a 1-0 lead. Aside from the run in third, Kiminski put together the best pitching performance by a Lumberjack starter this season, working 5.1 innings of six-hit, three-run baseball in which he struck out four.

Before he exited with runners on the corners in the bottom of the sixth, SFA's starter had watched his offense hand him a 3-1 lead to work with. Junior Jarrod Huber punched a sacrifice fly to left in SFA's fifth to tie matters at one before Minor followed with an RBI single to score Campbell and put the 'Jacks ahead.

Campbell hiked the visitors' lead to two in the sixth when his two-out RBI single scored Martin, but the Mavericks employed a big sixth inning to put the 'Jacks at a big disadvantage.

After Kiminski induced a flyout to start the bottom of the sixth, SFA's first error and a hit put runners on the corners and signaled the end of Kiminski's outing. Relief arm Cody Adams issued a five-pitch walk before being pulled for Cole Ridgely who got knocked around before shutting down the Mavericks' bats in the frame.

Ridgely hit a UTA batter with the bases loaded and on the first pitch he threw to RJ Williams the Maverick sent it through the left side of SFA's infield which allowed a pair of runs to score. That gave UTA a 4-3 lead and the hosts' advantage grew to three after Noah Vaughan's RBI single and Salinas' sacrifice fly finished the Mavericks' five-run inning.

Two more unearned runs crossed home plate for UTA in the seventh after an errant throw by Minor in right field allowed Phillip Childs to come home from second with one out in the frame. Following another sacrifice fly, SFA's deficit stood at 8-3 headed to the eighth.

The 'Jacks' comeback trail began being blazed in the eighth when Black ripped an RBI double down the left field line. Campbell followed with an RBI single through the left side of UTA's infield to pull SFA within three, but Vaughan socked a solo homer off of SFA relief arm Austin Hearn in the home eighth to make it a four-run game once again.

A six-hit SFA ninth started with singles from Minor and Eric DeJesus before Nick Daley's RBI single pushed the visitors' first run of the frame across. Josh Evans added one more on his sacrifice fly before Martin launched a 1-2 offering from UTA reliever Dylan Schneider out of the park to tie the game. SFA. Singles from Kyle Cullen and Campbell in conjunction with a base on balls drawn by Manny Vasquez loaded the bases for SFA, but a groundout ended the 'Jacks threat.

Tyler Starks came on in the ninth and retired the Mavericks in order, but Brad Vassar did the same thing to the 'Jacks in the tenth.

Starks received a fly ball out to start the tenth, but a single from Williams followed by a four-pitch walk to Vaughan set the table for Salinas who struck Starks' 0-1 pitch into center to end the game.

It was the top of the Mavericks' order that did the most damage. UTA's one, two and three hitters finished the game 8-for-15 with seven RBI and four runs scored. Salinas, Vaughan and Jose Minjarez each finished with three hits for the Mavericks.

The final leg of the 'Jacks' 10-game road swing to begin the 2018 season sends SFA to San Marcos, Texas, for a three-game series with former Southland Conference adversary Texas State this weekend. Game one is slated to begin Friday at 4:00 p.m. from Bobcat Ballpark.

-SFA-