Huber's Homer Starts SFA's Four-Run 10th, Pushes 'Jacks to 11-7 Win at ACU

Friday, March 23

Abilene, Texas

6:00 pm.

Stephen F. Austin

6-15, 1-3

Abilene Christian University

13-7, 2-5

SFA

Abilene Christian

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Huber's Homer Starts SFA's Four-Run 10th, Pushes 'Jacks to 11-7 Win at ACU

3/23/2018 10:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Junior finishes with three hits and two RBI as SFA registers first Southland win of 2018

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

ABILENE, Texas - It took a little longer than originally planned, but at the end of the night the Stephen F. Austin baseball team was able to lay claim to its first Southland Conference win of the season Friday night.

The first home run of Jarrod Huber's collegiate career started SFA's four-run 10th and helped propel the 'Jacks to an 11-7 10-inning victory over Abilene Christian Friday night at Crutcher Scott Field.

SFA put a four-spot on the board in the 10th after Abilene Christian used a two-out RBI double off the bat of Derek Scott in the bottom of the ninth to knot matters at 7-7. Huber's long ball was followed up by a solo homer by Nic Minor as well as RBI base knocks from Jared Martin and Josh Evans to put the game out of reach. SFA pushes its winning streak over Abilene Christian to eight games with the extra-innings triumph and put the visitors in prime position to win their fifth-straight series over the Wildcats.

The bats of Georgiades, Huber and Evans were the different for the 'Jacks. Georgiades finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and a pair of runs while Huber posted a 3-for-5 line with two RBI and a trio of runs. Evans rounded out SFA's triumvirate of primary producers of offense by going 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI.

Early on, Georgiades appeared primed to outscore the Wildcats on his own. The junior out of College Station, Texas. drove in four of the 'Jacks' first six runs of the tilt and helped SFA chase Abilene Christian starter Garrett Hutson out of the game after just 2.2 frames of work.

Geogirades' sacrifice fly started the scoring in the first before Abilene Christian tied things up with Dalon Farkas' solo long ball in the bottom portion of the frame. From there, however, the 'Jacks' bats provided the game's trump card.

Georgiades drilled a sharp double down the left field line to start the visitors' three-run third and Josh Evans finished the 'Jacks' multi-run frame with an RBI two-bagger down the right-field stripe to put SFA up 4-1.

Robert Salazar pulled his squad within one by lacing a two-run single through the third base/shortstop gap in the Abilene Christian half of the third, but the 'Jacks responded in a big way in the top of the fourth. Prior to his heroics in the 10th, Huber's RBI single in the fourth began SFA's three-run inning which was extended by yet another RBI hit from Georgiades.

As part of his career night, Georgiades put a cap on SFA's three-run fourth by scampering home from third on a wild pitch while increased the 'Jacks' edge to 7-3 headed to the fifth.

Although the 'Jacks' lead stood at four, it was anything but insurmountable. Austin Hearn took over for SFA starting arm Dru Dziedzic in the third and fired 2.1 frames of one-run baseball before getting relieved by Cody Adams. The junior left-hander fanned a pair in 1.2 innings of work, but was charged with a run after Jesus Gamez delivered a bases-loaded wild pitch in the seventh that cut SFA's lead to 7-5.

Despite the visitors' middle-inning pitching troubles, SFA remained ahead. Coming in to close the game in the bottom of the eighth, junior Tyler Starks instead was tagged for an RBI single in the eighth before Scott's game-tying RBI double in the ninth tied things up.

Starks (2-2) took home the win by tossing two innings of three-strikeout relief ball. On the other side of the coin, Jonathan Nicholson (2-2) got hit with the loss by surrendering a pair of runs over 2.1 frames.

Salazar, Scott and Colton Eager each had three hits to pace the Wildcats' 13-hit attack. Between those three, four of Abilene Christian's six RBI were represented.

SFA sends right-handed freshman Sean Beasley to the hill Saturday afternoon in its second Southland Conference tilt of the season of the Wildcats. First pitch has been set for 2:00 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field.

-SFA-