Two Big Innings by Texas State Hurt 'Jacks in 13-0 Loss to Bobcats

Friday, March 2

San Marcos, Texas

4:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

0-8

Texas State

4-4

Stephen F. Austin

Texas State

Photo by: Cedrique Flemming | Texas State Athletics

Two Big Innings by Texas State Hurt 'Jacks in 13-0 Loss to Bobcats

3/2/2018 8:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SFA conjured up just three hits in eighth-straight setback

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

SAN MARCOS, Texas - Texas State's offense exploded for ninth runs in the bottom of the second inning, a frame that served as an offensive onslaught from which the Stephen F. Austin baseball team found itself unable to recover from in a 13-0 setback to the Bobcats Friday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark.

In its first shutout loss since April 28, 2017, the 'Jacks manufactured only three hits against a trio of Texas State pitchers. The Bobcats' Nicholas Fraze gave up all three of those hits, but let only five SFA baserunners move into scoring position during his seven innings of work.

Conversely, the Bobcats pounded out 13 hits while facing a total of five Lumberjack arms throughout the evening. The Bobcats' 13-run explosion came off of a Sunday game against McNeese in which a pair of Cowboys combined to produce a no-hitter against Texas State.

Center fielder Nick Daley led off the game with a four-pitch walk for the 'Jacks and stood at third after swiping second and moving 90 feet further following a sacrifice bunt off the bat of catcher Luis Santiago. Unfortunately, SFA could not draw first blood as a pair of groundouts ended the 'Jacks' threat in the first.

SFA starter Cole Ridgely faced only four batters in the first, but ran into a heap of trouble in the second inning. After the 'Jacks' senior gave up a single to start the frame, Luke Sherley launched a two-run homer which proved to be all the offense Texas State needed for the night.

That long ball, however, was just the start for the Bobcats who went on to score seven more runs before the second inning came to a close. Derek Scheible connected on a 2-1 offering from Ridgely and blasted a three-run long ball out of Bobcat Ballpark that put the home squad up 5-0. Before his day was done, Ridgely surrendered an RBI single off the bat of Jaylen Hubbard.

Josh Ponder took over on the hill for Ridgely with one out in the second, but the Bobcats were not done putting runs on the board. Sherley pushed another run across in his second at-bat of the frame with a sacrifice fly before Jared Huber's two-out, two-run single upped the hosts' edge to 9-0.

Finally, Austin Cornish came on and struck out Scheible to end the second, but the damage had already been done and the 'Jacks were unable to mount any kind of comeback.

Two more RBI singles, a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly in the home portion of the fourth accounted for the final score. Freshman Sean Beasley came on with one out in the frame and at long last shut the Bobcats' bats down. The first-year man delivered 3.2 frames of five-hit, one-run baseball and finished with three strikeouts but SFA was hard-pressed to get anything going against Fraze and the rest of the Bobcats' arms.

Daley finished the game with a line of 1-for-2 with a double - SFA's lone extra-base hit of the tilt. Eric DeJesus and Jake Georgiades each had a single for the 'Jacks in their 10th-straight setback.

Scheible's four RBI led the way for Texas State while Jonathan Ortega went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Huber and Dylan Paul added two hits apiece and combined for five runs.

Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., the 'Jacks send senior Trevor Kiminski to the mound to oppose the Texas State lineup in game two of the non-conference series.

-SFA-