Stephen F. Austin
10-20, 3-8
Northwestern State
16-13, 6-5
'Jacks Unable to Cool Off Northwestern State's Bats in 16-2 Loss
4/8/2018 5:52:00 PM | Baseball
SFA starts doubleheader with 14-run loss to Demons
NATCHITOCHES, La. - A pair of big innings by Northwestern State's offense proved to be too much to overcome for the Stephen F. Austin baseball team as the 'Jacks fell to the Demons 16-2 in the second game of the Southland Conference series between the two squads Sunday afternoon at Brown-Stroud Field.
With the game serving as the front end of a doubleheader, the Demons unloaded on SFA by racking up 14 hits and broke things open in earnest by exploding for 10 runs in the sixth. The 'Jacks, meanwhile, mustered only four hits and busted up Northwestern State's shutout by getting consecutive RBI doubles from Manny Vasquez and Jarrod Huber in the top of the seventh.
Until Nic Minor's leadoff double in the top of the sixth, Northwestern State starting pitcher Jerry Maddox was unhittable. SFA struggled to get and semblance of offense going against Maddox who issued walks to Eric DeJesus in the first and Nic Minor in the second which accounted for the 'Jacks' only pair of baserunners through the first five frames.
Through his first two innings of work, Kiminski's effectiveness matched that of Maddox as SFA's senior sat down the first six batters he faced. Two of those came via the strikeout in Kiminsiki's one, two, three second before the senior ran into trouble in the third.
Northwestern State loaded the bases before Kiminski recorded an out in the third, getting the game's first hit which was sandwiched around a pair of hit batters. From there, the Demons drew first blood with a sacrifice fly off the stick of Austin Stegall before getting three additional runs on an SFA error, an RBI single as well as an additional sacrifice fly to take a 4-0 lead.
The third was Kiminski's only troublesome frame who tossed two more clean frames to complete his five-inning outing. Once Kiminski exited, the 'Jacks pulled Jordan Powell out of the bullpen to toss to the Demons in the sixth but the freshman was one of three arms SFA had to use to get through the inning.
Powell failed to record an out in the sixth and was greeted by six-straight Northwestern State hits. The third of those base knocks was a three-run homer by Tyler Smith the upped the Demons' edge to 7-0.
After giving up an RBI single to Sam Taylor, Powell was pulled for Austin Cornish who gave up three more runs on a wild pitch, a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a bases-loaded walk. It was sophomore Josh Ponder who finally finished the sixth after the Demons tacked on three more with a sacrifice fly as well as a two-run single from Kwan Adkins.
Cullen McDonald surrendered the 'Jacks' two runs in the seventh before the Demons finished up their 16-run assault with a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout in the home portion of the seventh.
Kiminski (1-4) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs through five innings of work. Maddox (3-2) rose above .500 with the win and retired 19 of the 21 batters he faced through six innings of work.
The 'Jacks and Demons close out their three-game Southland Conference series at 4:15 p.n, Sunday afternoon from Brown-Stroud Field with the 'Jacks in search of their first league victory in two weeks.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Maddox, Jerry (3-2)
L: Kiminski, Trevor (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Vasquez, Manny 1 ; Huber, Jarrod 1 ; Minor, Nic 1
RBI: Vasquez, Manny 1 ; Huber, Jarrod 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martin, Jared 1 ; Vasquez, Manny 1
SB: Minor, Nic 1
Batting:
2B: Davis, Peyton 1 ; Adkins, Kwan 1
HR: Smith, Tyler 1
RBI: Stegall, Austin 1 ; Fry, David 1 ; Watson, Luke 1 ; Lagreco, J.P. 2 ; Townsend, Austin 1 ; Davis, Peyton 1 ; Smith, Tyler 5 ; Adkins, Kwan 2 ; Taylor, Sam 1
SF: Stegall, Austin 1 ; Lagreco, J.P. 1 ; Townsend, Austin 1 ; Smith, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stegall, Austin 1 ; Fry, David 3 ; Watson, Luke 1 ; Lagreco, J.P. 2 ; Davis, Peyton 2 ; Smith, Tyler 1 ; Ricca, Caleb 2 ; Adkins, Kwan 2 ; Taylor, Sam 2
SB: Ricca, Caleb 1
CS: Fry, David 1
HBP: Lagreco, J.P. 1 ; Ricca, Caleb 1 ; Dodge, Chaney 1 ; Taylor, Sam 1
