'Jacks Can't Erase Early McNeese Lead in 7-5 Southland Loss to Cowboys

Friday, March 16

Nacogdoches, Texas

6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

5-12, 0

McNeese

6-11, 0

McNeese

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: Cody Derouen | SFA Athletics

'Jacks Can't Erase Early McNeese Lead in 7-5 Southland Loss to Cowboys

3/16/2018 10:58:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SFA scores three in the eighth to make it a two-run game

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - McNeese jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three frames and despite getting under the skin of the Cowboys' bullpen by putting a three-spot on the board in the eighth the Stephen F. Austin baseball team was unable to complete their comeback and fell 7-5 in their Southland Conference opener at Jaycees Field Friday night.

With the setback, SFA had its three-game winning streak snapped while the Cowboys won their fourth in a row. Dru Dziedzic suffered the loss for the 'Jacks, giving up seven hits and four runs through five frames of work. After easing through the top of the Cowboys' order in the first, Dziedzic watched his shutout bid end in the second.

Dustin Duhon launched a line-drive homer of the top run variety in the second before the Cowboys capped their five-hit frame with a two-out RBI single off the stick of Reid Borque.

Another RBI single by the Cowboys in the third - this one courtesy of Lachlan Mayo - pushed McNeese's lead to 4-0 and until the fifth the 'Jacks were unable to get anything of consequence going against Cowboys' starter Grant Anderson.

Making his first start of the season, Anderson let up just two hits - both singles - to SFA through the first four innings. Finally in the fifth, the 'Jacks got to the Cowboys' workhorse.

Jarrod Huber began the frame with a double to right and after Nick Daley and Jared Martin drew walks to load the bases Skylar Black busted up the shutout. The sophomore ripped a two-out, two-run double to right, slicing the Cowboys' lead in half in the process.

Logan Ammons came on for Dziedzic in the sixth and shut down the Cowboys' bats, by retiring all three batters he faced, but the 'Jacks next pitching change in the seventh helped the visitors increase their lead.

Cody Adams gave up consecutive one-out doubles, allowing the Cowboys to up their lead to 5-2 before the left-handed junior ended the McNeese seventh with a strikeout and a groundout.

After playing a clean defensive game through the first seven frames, a pair of SFA errors in the eighth allowed the Cowboys to plate the game-winning runs. Jordan Powell handled a hard one-out grounder back to the mound but his throw slipped under Josh Evans' glove at first, allowing Jake Cochran to advance all the way to third and another run to score.

Powell delivered a wild pitch that got away from Huber with Cochran still standing at third, and although SFA's backstop made a clean throw to Powell at the plate after backing up the play, a drop let the Cowboys' seventh and final run of the game to score before Powell got out of the inning.

Peyton McElemore took over for Anderson in the sixth and put two zeros on the board for the Cowboys before the 'Jacks finally solved the reliever. In the eighth, Eric DeJesus drilled a one-out, RBI double to left-center and Nic Minor followed up with a two-hopper that squirted through the middle of the infield to plate another run.

Having cut the Cowboys' lead to 7-4, the 'Jacks watched leadoff man Nick Daley rap an RBI single to right that accounted for the final score. Austin Hearn tossed clean ninth for the 'Jacks but a double-play ball in the bottom of the ninth took the wind out of SFA's sails and let the Cowboys escape with the win - their third-straight in Southland Conference action.

Manny Vasquez went 2-for-4 and was the only SFA player to have a multi-hit game. Seven other 'Jacks put forth one hit including Black who finished with a pair of RBI.

The Cowboys' four, five and six hitters combined to go 6-for-12 (.500) with four runs scored and two RBI.

Saturday's middle game of the series has been shifted to a 1:00 p.m. start to try and avoid rain that is expected to hit Nacogdoches later in the afternoon. SFA will try to even the series up at that time.

-SFA-