Stephen F. Austin
1-11
Louisiana-Monroe
10-3
Martin's Three-Run Shot Not Enough as 'Jacks Fall to Louisiana-Monroe 9-7
3/9/2018 11:46:00 PM | Baseball
Five-run ULM seventh spells doom for SFA
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin baseball team jumped out to a 3-1 lead over visiting Louisiana-Monroe after three innings, but the Warhawks used a five-run fifth to retake the lead for good and plated runs in the eighth and ninth in the 'Jacks' 9-7 setback at Jaycees Field Friday night.
Freshman Jared Martin trimmed Louisiana-Monroe's 7-3 lead down to just one in the seventh by launching a three-run homer, but SFA got no closer as the Warhawks got an RBI double from Chad Bell in the eighth and a sacrifice fly from Johnny DeLaCruz in the ninth in order to win the series opener.
Freshman left-hander Dru Dziedzic struck out five in four innings during his second collegiate start and after exiting in the fifth the 'Jacks were still up by one, 3-2. Louisiana-Monroe got on the board first when Braedon Barrett punched a leadoff homer to left in the top of the third but the 'Jacks responded in their half of the frame as they looked to post back-to-back wins for the first time in 2018.
Skylar Black ripped an RBI double down the left field line before Josh Campbell broke the 1-1 tie with an RBI groundout. The 'Jacks' lead grew to 3-1 when Manny Vasquez legged out an infield single and headed to second on an errant throw by the Warhawks' third baseman. That error allowed Black to score from second.
Louisiana-Monroe got one back with an RBI groundout in the fourth before SFA's pitching troubles reared their head in the seventh. Trayson Kubo walked two Louisiana-Monroe batters before Logan Ammons came on and watched Louisiana-Monroe load the bases on a Lumberjack error. After a bases-loaded walk tied the game at three, Cole Ridgely watched Joey Jordan rapped a two-run double to right on the 1-0 pitch from the senior.
Brendan Jordan put the finishing touches on the Warhawks' five-run frame with an SFA groundout before SFA attempted its comeback off the bat of Martin.
Jake Georgiades made it a one-run game for the final time when his RBI single in the eighth scored Nic Minor from second but SFA went down in order in the ninth to end the game.
Black finished with two of the 'Jacks' six hits, drove in a run and scored an additional one. Georgiades and Martin scored two runs each for the 'Jacks. Kubo (0-1) took the loss while Richard Herbert (2-0) earned the win after firing 1.1 innings of relief for Louisiana-Monroe.
Offensively, Joey Jordan led ULM with a 3-for-3 night at the plate and finished with three of the team's nine RBI.
SFA and Louisiana-Monroe will continue their three-game non-conference series Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. from Jaycees Field.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hebert, Richard (2-0)
L: Kubo, Trayson (0-1)
S: Curtis, Keegan (2)
Batting:
2B: DeLaCruz, Johnny 1 ; Bell, Chad 1 ; Francis, Turner 1 ; Jordan, Joey 1
HR: Barrett, Braedon 1
RBI: Barrett, Braedon 1 ; DeLaCruz, Johnny 1 ; Bell, Chad 1 ; Francis, Turner 1 ; Harper, Cade 1 ; Jordan, Joey 3 ; Jordan, Brendan 1
SF: DeLaCruz, Johnny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Barrett, Braedon 1 ; DeLaCruz, Johnny 2 ; Hemphill, Spencer 1 ; Lacoste, Peyton 1 ; Francis, Turner 1 ; Daniels, Will 1 ; Harper, Cade 1 ; Jordan, Joey 1
SB: DeLaCruz, Johnny 1 ; Francis, Turner 1 ; Jordan, Joey 1 ; Jordan, Brendan 1
CS: Francis, Turner 1 ; Jordan, Joey 1
HBP: Harper, Cade 1
PO: Jordan, Brendan 1
Batting:
2B: Black, Skylar 1
HR: Martin, Jared 1
RBI: Georgiades, Jake 1 ; Martin, Jared 3 ; Black, Skylar 1 ; Campbell, Josh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Daley, Nick 1 ; Georgiades, Jake 2 ; Martin, Jared 2 ; Black, Skylar 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
SB: Daley, Nick 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
HBP: Martin, Jared 2
