Stephen F. Austin
3-11
Louisiana-Monroe
10-5
'Jacks Power Past Warhawks, 13-11, to Earn First Series Win of 2018
3/11/2018 9:47:00 PM | Baseball
Martin finishes a homer shy of the cycle and Evans launches two-run homer in SFA's win
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin baseball team erased a five-run deficit after two-and-a-half innings and used a three-run eighth inning to power past visiting Louisiana-Monroe for good to capture a 13-11 victory over the Warhawks at Jaycees Field Sunday afternoon.
Freshman Jared Martin busted up the 10-10 tie in the home half of the eighth by drilling an RBI single to left and Martin's tiebreaking base-knock was followed up by a two-run double to left off the bat of Manny Vasquez to account for SFA's final does of offense in the tilt.
Those three runs also helped junior relief arm Tyler Starks forget about his blown save chance in the eighth. Trailing 10-8, Louisiana-Monroe loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch before Pierce Khan slapped a two-out, two-run single to bring the Warhawks even with the 'Jacks.
Although Starks (1-2) got the win, it didn't come east as the Warhawks had their chance in the top of the ninth to force extras. Jordan Powell walked the first batter he faced in the top of the frame and after a pair of singles the Warhawks had loaded the bases once again. After a bases-loaded walk trimmed the 'Jacks' lead to 13-11, Josh Ponder came on and collected his first collegiate save by getting a pair of fly ball outs and a strikeout to send the Warhawks packing.
Those dramatic final innings came after the 'Jacks allowed the Warhawks to hang a crooked number on the board in the second. Spencer Hemphill hammered a grand slam off of SFA starter Cody Adams in that frame before the junior left-hander ended the frame with three-straight outs.
Louisiana-Monroe tacked on another in the third with an RBI groundout before the 'Jacks started to chip away at that five-run deficit. Two big swings - one off the bat of Martin and the other coming by way of Josh Evans - got the home team right back into it in the third. Martin rapped a one-out, two-run double to left that cut the Warhawks' lead to 6-3 before Evans crushed a two-run long ball to left center that made it a one-run game.
Cole Ridgely came on and kept the Warhawks' bats at bay for two innings before SFA took the lead in the home half of the fifth. Martin legged out a one-out triple to start SFA's second four-run inning of the day before Vasquez brought him home with a game-tying single.
Senior Eric DeJesus' two-run single upped the 'Jacks' lead to 8-6 before pinch hitter Luis Santiago sped to first on a fielder's choice ball that scored Vasquez. The Warhawks' attempt to turn an inning-ending double play came up just short as Santiago's speed kept the inning alive.
The Warhawks inched closer with an RBI double in the sixth followed up with an RBI single in the seventh, but Santiago's RBI single in the home half of the seventh pushed the 'Jacks' lead back to two before the events of the final three innings.
Martin finished a home run shy of the cycle and went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored in the slugfest. Vasquez drove in three runs on a pair of hits while Nick Daley scored a trio of runs in SFA's first series win of the 2018 campaign.
Khan and Braedon Barrett each finished with three of the Warhawks' 13 hits and combined to produce three RBI and three runs. Kolton Childress (0-1) was hit with the loss after surrendering three runs in two-thirds of an inning.
The 'Jacks' non-conference schedule continues Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when SFA hosts Prairie View A&M.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Starks, Tyler (1-2)
L: Childress, Kolton (0-1)
S: Ponder, Josh (1)
Batting:
2B: DeLaCruz, Johnny 1 ; Lacoste, Peyton 1 ; Barrett, Braedon 1
HR: Hemphill, Spencer 1
RBI: DeLaCruz, Johnny 1 ; Bell, Chad 1 ; Lacoste, Peyton 1 ; Francis, Turner 1 ; Khan, Pierce 2 ; Barrett, Braedon 1 ; Hemphill, Spencer 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Jordan, Joey 1 ; DeLaCruz, Johnny 1 ; Bell, Chad 1 ; Lacoste, Peyton 1 ; Francis, Turner 2 ; Khan, Pierce 1 ; Barrett, Braedon 2 ; Hemphill, Spencer 1 ; McGehee, Brady 1
SB: Jordan, Joey 1 ; Khan, Pierce 1
HBP: Bell, Chad 1
Batting:
2B: Georgiades, Jake 1 ; Martin, Jared 1 ; Vasquez, Manny 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
3B: Martin, Jared 1
HR: Evans, Josh 1
RBI: Martin, Jared 3 ; Evans, Josh 2 ; Vasquez, Manny 3 ; DeJesus, Eric 2 ; Santiago, Luis 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Daley, Nick 3 ; Georgiades, Jake 2 ; Martin, Jared 3 ; Black, Skylar 1 ; Evans, Josh 2 ; Vasquez, Manny 2
SB: Daley, Nick 2 ; Minor, Nic 1
CS: DeJesus, Eric 1
HBP: Daley, Nick 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
