Stephen F. Austin
4-13, 0
McNeese
7-11, 0
McNeese Pulls Away From SFA with Five-Run Seventh in 'Jacks' 12-3 Setback
3/17/2018 5:33:00 PM | Baseball
Daley and Vaasquez homer for SFA in second-straight Southland loss
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Able to remain within striking distance of McNeese through the first six innings, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team found itself unable to counter a five-run seventh by the visiting Cowboys and fell 12-3 Saturday afternoon at Jaycees Field.
In seven of the game's nine innings, McNeese put at least one run on the board, eventually breaking things open by plating five in the seventh. The setback pushes SFA to 4-13 and 0-2 in Southland play while the win for McNeese represents its fifth in a row and fourth in league action.
The Cowboys' offense got going early after SFA starter Sean Beasley issued a leadoff walk to Reid Bourque to begin the game. Bourque came around to score by way of a groundout that advanced him to second before a pair of wild pitches plated the Cowboy and handed McNeese a lead it never relinquished.
SFA's best chance for some early offense came in the home half of the first when Martin and Black punched consecutive two-out singles to the outfield. After Josh Campbell was hit on a 1-2 pitch to load the bases that brought up Manny Vasquez who flew out to center on the first pitch of his at-bat to put an end to the 'Jacks threat.
A pair of one-out RBI singles by the Cowboys in the second made it a three-run lead for the visitors and in the third Dustin Duhon belted a two-out solo homer to left on a 1-2 pitch from Beasley that made matters 4-0.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Reid Bourque in the fourth pushed the Cowboys' advantage to five before the 'Jacks put an end to McNeese's shutout bid in the home portion of the inning. On the first pitch he saw from McNeese starter Bryan King in the fifth, Manny Vasquez blasted a one-out, solo homer to left which broke up the Cowboys' shutout bid.
After McNeese hiked its lead back to five with an RBI double by Duhon in the fifth, Nick Daley pulled the 'Jacks back within striking distance in the bottom portion of the frame. The junior followed Nic Minor's leadoff single up the middle with a towering two-run home run to left. That long ball cut the Cowboys' lead to 6-3 and gave the home team a chance before McNeese put a five-spot on the board in the seventh.
During the Cowboys' four-hit seventh, Jake Cochran slung a solo homer beyond the right field fence, Carter Maxwell was hit with the bases loaded to drive in another run, Reid Bourque fired a hard two-run double under the outstretched glove of Josh Evans at first and Shane Selman brought Maxwell home with a run-scoring single.
SFA needed three pitchers to get out of the seventh and finally did when Eric DeJesus began an inning-ending double play by snaring a grounder off the bat of Jacob Stracner. Kyle Cullen's leadoff single in the SFA ninth represented the 'Jacks' lone hit over the last four innings of play.
Seven 'Jacks finished with hits in the setback including Black who went 2-for-4 at the dish for the second time in as many games. Bourque, Selman, Duhon and Maxwell each finished with two of the Cowboys' 13 hits and combined to drive in nine of the team's 13 runs.
Beasley (1-1) was hit with the loss after firing three innings of five-hit, five-run baseball. Cody Adams tossed a pair of innings and finished with two of SFA's three strikeouts on the day.
Sunday's finale between the 'Jacks and Cowboys will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Jaycees Field as the teams attempt to dodge the rain that is expected to fall in Nacogdoches during the afternoon.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: King, Bryan (1-0)
L: Beasley, Sean (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Bourque, Reid 1 ; Stracner, Jacob 1 ; Duhon, Dustin 1 ; Rogers, Mitchell 1
HR: Cochran, Jake 1 ; Duhon, Dustin 1
RBI: Bourque, Reid 4 ; Selman, Shane 1 ; Stracner, Jacob 1 ; Cochran, Jake 1 ; Duhon, Dustin 2 ; Maxwell, Carson 2
SF: Bourque, Reid 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bourque, Reid 1 ; Provenzano, Joe 1 ; Stracner, Jacob 1 ; Cochran, Jake 1 ; Duhon, Dustin 3 ; Bryan, Andrew 2 ; Rogers, Mitchell 2 ; Maxwell, Carson 1
SB: Duhon, Dustin 1 ; Maxwell, Carson 1
HBP: Stracner, Jacob 1 ; Duhon, Dustin 1 ; Bryan, Andrew 1 ; Maxwell, Carson 1
Batting:
HR: Daley, Nick 1 ; Vasquez, Manny 1
RBI: Daley, Nick 2 ; Vasquez, Manny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Daley, Nick 1 ; Vasquez, Manny 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
HBP: Martin, Jared 1 ; Campbell, Josh 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
