Dominant Pitching Helps SFA Keep UTSA Off-Balance in 'Jacks' 5-1 Win

Tuesday, April 10

San Antonio, Texas

6:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

12-20

UTSA

16-14

Stephen F. Austin

UTSA

Photo by: Cody Derouen | SFA Athletics

Dominant Pitching Helps SFA Keep UTSA Off-Balance in 'Jacks' 5-1 Win

4/10/2018 9:14:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Vasquez aids SFA's sterling pitching effort with two-run homer in 'Jacks' four-run sixth

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

SAN ANTONIO - All season long, one of the major areas of concern for the Stephen F. Austin baseball team has been its pitching. Tuesday night in the Alamo City, however, those concerns were abated as seven Lumberjack arms submitted an effort that unquestionably laid a great foundation from which to build from.

Junior Manny Vasquez capped the visitors' five-run night with his two-run homer in SFA's four-run sixth and six 'Jack arms largely shut down UTSA's offense to help SFA claim a 5-1 victory over UTSA Tuesday night at Roadrunner Park.

In their first victory over the Roadrunners in six years, the 'Jacks received the best outing of the season from their embattled pitching staff. For only the second time in 2018, SFA issued just a single walk while racking up a total of 10 strikeouts in the team's fourth consecutive non-conference victory.

At no point did any SFA pitcher have to throw balls and strikes facing a deficit or with the game tied as the 'Jacks struck in their first set of at-bats to give the visitors a lead they never surrendered. Nick Daley and Nic Minor began the game with back-to-back singles to put runners at first and third, giving Josh Evans his first RBI opportunity of the night.

With one out, the senior popped a sacrifice fly to right center which allowed Nick Daley to come home from third. Although Daley's run represented the 'Jacks' lone score through the first five frames, it was more than enough of a lead for SFA's pitching staff to work with.

Cole Ridgely, who went on to earn his first win of 2018, worked his way through three scoreless innings and ran into trouble just one time through that span. The right-hander gave up a single and a double to UTSA in the beginning of the bottom of the second but recovered with a strikeout and a popout to move one out away from getting out of the frame.

After Ridgely hit a batter to load the bases, he got Joshua Lamb to fly out to center and end the Roadruners' best run-scoring chance of the night.

Following his three-inning night Ridgely gave way to Trayson Kubo in the fourth and Cody Adams in the fifth, both of whom put zeroes on the board in their lone inning of work. Still nursing their one-run lead, the 'Jacks were able to add to it by totaling four of their 10 hits in the top of the sixth.

Minor began the innings with his second single of the night before Jared Martin drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Evans won a seven-pitch battle with UTSA's Andre Shewcraft, sending a 3-2 offering from the righty to left. That single pushed Minor across home plate but the 'Jacks were far from finished.

Pinch hitter Eric DeJesus laid down a bunt single to the pitcher to load up the bases before Will Cerny hit into a double play that let Martin score from third. Vasquez put an exclamation point on the 'Jacks' five-run night by taking Palmer Wenzel deep to left. Vasquez's towering two-run homer was the junior's fourth of 2018.

Austin Cornish struck out the side in the sixth before Jordan Powell retired all three batters he faced in the UTSA seventh. The only blemish on the night from the 'Jacks' pitching staff came in the eighth when Jesus Gamez surrendered a one-out solo home run off the bat of Bryan Arias.

Evans and Vasquez each finished with two hits and a pair of RBI for SFA while Minor went 2-for-5 with a run scored to help the 'Jacks' 10-hit attack. Trent Bowles and Ben Brookover struck for two hits apiece for the Roadrunners in their second-straight loss.

Friday evening at 6:00 p.m., the 'Jacks take the field at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas, to begin their three-game Southland Conference series with longtime Piney Woods adversary Sam Houston State.

-SFA-