Stephen F. Austin
0-9
Texas State
5-4
SFA On Wrong End of 6-3 Score at Texas State
3/4/2018 3:03:00 PM | Baseball
'Jacks finish game that started on Saturday and was suspended due to rain
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Within one run of Texas State before Mother Nature made an unscheduled change to the game, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team picked up their non-conference game with the Bobcats in the sixth after it was suspended due to rain Saturday night and dropped a 6-3 decision to their Sun Belt Conference adversaries early Sunday afternoon.
Through the first three innings, it was impossible for the 'Jacks to get anything going against Texas State starter Connor Reich who retired the first 10 SFA batters he faced. In that same span, Texas State took a 1-0 lead after throwing errors from Jared Martin and left and starting pitcher Trevor Kiminski allowed Derek Scheible to come home all the way from first after a flyout in the first.
Despite not getting a hit through the first five frames, the 'Jacks manufactured a run by using walks and some timely Texas State miscues. Nic Minor drew a one-out walk for SFA in the fourth before Jared Martin reached on a Texas State error. Skylar Black also drew a walk to load the bases and after a passed ball during Josh Campbell's at-bat Minor scampered home from third to tie the game.
Texas State reclaimed the lead in the fifth without the benefit of a hit. An error and a hit by pitch started the Bobcats' frame and after SFA catcher Luis Santiago erased a runner trying to steal third a walk put runners at first and second once again for the home team.
Those runners stole second and third and a wild pitch by SFA relief arm Jesus Gamez let one of them - Jaylen Hubbard - come home from third and put the home team up 2-1. It was then that the skies opened up, forcing a suspension of the game until Sunday.
Once the game resumed over 18 hours later, the Bobcats didn't waste and time in padding their lead. Freshman Dru Dziedzic struck out the first batter he faced in the Texas State sixth before a walk and consecutive Bobcat singles loaded the bases.
From there, Dylan Paul's sacrifice plated the first of three Texas State runs before Ortega added the second with a straight steal of home plate. Luke Sherley concluded the three-run sixth for the home team with a two-out RBI single up the middle that put the 'Jacks at a 5-1 disadvantage.
On two occasions the 'Jacks managed to cut the Bobcats' lead down to three runs. Luis Santiago pushed Manny Vasquez home with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh which made matters 5-2. The Bobcats, however, tacked on their final run in the home portion of the seventh with yet another two-out RBI single, this one off the bat of Scheible that put the Texas State lead back to four runs.
One-out singles from Jared Martin and Skylar Black in the top of the eight followed by the Bobcats' third error of the game loaded the bases for the 'Jacks. Vasquez delivered the 'Jacks' third and final run of the game when his sacrifice fly scored Martin from third before a groundout ended SFA's eighth-inning threat.
Austin Hearn came on to pitch the eighth for SFA and worked his way around a leadoff infield single by getting a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to give the 'Jacks a chance in the ninth. Santiago and Eric DeJesus started the 'Jacks' rally bid with consecutive walks to start the frame and the pair moved into scoring position after a pair of groundouts.
Martin took a five-pitch walk to load the bases, but again a bases-loaded opportunity slipped through the 'Jacks' fingers as Black popped up to end the game.
Daley, Martin and Black each recorded one of the 'Jacks' three hits and Kiminski (0-2) was hit with the loss despite not giving up an earned run through his four innings of work. Kiminski surrendered just one hit but walked five while delivering two of SFA's eight strikeouts.
Conner Reich (2-0) collected the victory for the Bobcats, striking out six and letting up just one unearned run through five hitless frames.
SFA and Texas State close out their three-game set Sunday at 2:00 p.m. from the confines of Bobcat Ballpark.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Reich, C. (2-0)
L: Kiminski, Trevor (0-2)
S: Theriot, B. (2)
Batting:
RBI: Vasquez, Manny 1 ; Santiago, Luis 1
SF: Vasquez, Manny 1 ; Santiago, Luis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Minor, Nic 1 ; Martin, Jared 1 ; Vasquez, Manny 1
SB: Minor, Nic 1
HBP: Vasquez, Manny 1
Batting:
RBI: Scheible, D. 1 ; Paul, D. 1 ; Sherley, L. 1
SH: Almendarez 1
SF: Paul, D. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Scheible, D. 2 ; Ortega, J. 1 ; Hubbard, J. 2 ; Scott, M. 1
SB: Scheible, D. 2 ; Ortega, J. 1 ; Hubbard, J. 2 ; Paul, D. 1 ; Sherley, L. 1
CS: Ortega, J. 1 ; Paul, D. 1
HBP: Scheible, D. 1 ; Hubbard, J. 1 ; Huber, J. 1
