Ninth-Inning Triple, Third SFA Error Spell Doom for 'Jacks in 7-6 Loss at Texas State

Sunday, March 4

San Marcos, Texas

2:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

0-10

Texas State

6-4

Stephen F. Austin

Texas State

Photo by: Cedrique Flemming | Texas State Athletics

Ninth-Inning Triple, Third SFA Error Spell Doom for 'Jacks in 7-6 Loss at Texas State

3/4/2018 6:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Black blasts homer, goes 2-for-5 with two RBI

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

SAN MARCOS, Texas - In their non-conference series finale at Texas State Sunday afternoon, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two-and-a-half innings but could not hold off the Bobcats who capitalized on some costly defensive lapses by SFA to earn a 7-6 win over the 'Jacks at Bobcat Ballpark.

Five SFA pitchers joined forces and limited the Bobcats to only six hits, but Texas State was able to complete the sweep by receiving a game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth from Dylan Paul. A fielding error out in center - SFA's third of the game - allowed Paul to come home from third and hand the home team a walk-off win.

Sophomore Skylar Black led the 'Jacks' offensive effort by going 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Jared Martin added a double, scored two runs and was walked twice for the 'Jacks who dropped to 0-10.

Starting the game with an aggressive mindset, the 'Jacks drew first blood. Nick Daley stole second after getting plunked with the game's second pitch and Jared Martin brought the junior home with a one-out RBI double. Skylar Black helped SFA double its lead when his RBI groundout scored Martin from third.

Pitching with the lead, SFA starter Seth Campbell allowed only one walk through his 2.1 innings of work while striking out a pair. The junior made a premature exit from the game after notching his second strikeout of the game to lead off the bottom of the third. After that strikeout, Campbell began to nurse his elbow and after a few more pitches he found himself unable to continue and was lifted for Trayson Kubo.

Campbell was given a 3-0 lead to work with after Jake Georgiades, Daley and Luis Santiago each drew walks in the second. Santiago's base on balls came with the bases loaded and pushed Georgiades home from third.

On the second pitch he saw in the top of the third, Black blasted a mammoth solo homer to left center, pushing the 'Jacks' edge to 4-0 before the Bobcats began battling back. Drew Scheible clobbered a solo homer in the Texas State third, getting the home team on the board before RBI singles by Mickey Scott and Felipe Rodriguez in the fourth trimmed the 'Jacks' lead down to one, 4-3.

Reestablishing their three-run lead in the fifth, the 'Jacks receive sacrifice flies from Nic Minor and Antonio Lima which pushed the visitors' lead back to 6-3.

Before his game-winning triple Paul rapped an RBI double in the fifth for the Bobcats and in the seventh Texas State pushed its first of two unearned runs across the plate when Luke Sherley's sacrifice fly scored Scheible who reached on an error.

With their lead down to just one after seven frames, the 'Jacks' only other hit of the game came courtesy of Nick Daley. The junior ripped a leadoff double down the left field line in the eighth but was left standing at third after Black and Martin struck out to end the frame.

Tyler Starks fired a one, two, three eighth to keep the 'Jacks' lead intact before the Bobcats won it off of SFA's junior in the ninth. Scheible drew a five-pitch walk to start the Texas State ninth and took second after a sacrifice bunt by Jonathan Ortega. From there, Paul stepped to the plate and delivered the eventual game-winning hit.

Starks (0-2) was saddled with the loss despite giving up just one hit and one earned run through 2.1 frames of work. Texas State relief arm Cam Baird fired 3.1 innings of two-hit ball while striking out four to pick up the win.

Finally, following a stretch of 10-straight games on the road or at neutral sites to begin 2018, the 'Jacks will take to their home park of Jaycees Field Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. SFA's opponent for their home opener is Texas Southern.

-SFA-