Stephen F. Austin
17-35, 9-20
Houston Baptist University
25-28, 17-12
Huskies' Early Lead too Much for 'Jacks to Overcome in 8-3 Loss at HBU
5/18/2018 4:56:00 PM | Baseball
Cerny socks first collegiate homer in SFA eighth
HOUSTON - Eight different Stephen F. Austin baseball players recorded a hit, but Houston Baptist struck for five early runs in the first through fourth innings which served as an insurmountable lead for the 'Jacks in their 8-3 Southland Conference setback Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
Jarrod Huber's triple and Will Cerny's home run represented the only two extra-base hits for SFA in the tilt while the Huskies struck for 13 hits - five of which were of the extra-base variety - in order to take the series.
Wasting almost no time once they got to the plate, the Huskies jumped on the 'Jacks early when Spencer Halloran's two-out double was followed up with an RBI triple off the stick of Matt Heck. Armed with a 1-0 lead after one, Houston Baptist never relinquished it and although the 'Jacks hit the Huskies' pitching well SFA could not conjure up a great deal of runs.
Houston Baptist did not suffer from similar difficulties, however, as the Huskies tagged SFA starter Sean Beasley for 10 hits and five runs through the right-hander's five innings of work. Three of those runs came in the home half of the third courtesy of a two-run double down the left field line by Jordan Ducoff and an RBI single from Heck.
Another RBI base-knock by Ducoff - this time a single - pushed the Huskies' advantage to 5-0 before the fourth inning was in the books.
Beginning with a single from Cody Williams in the top of the fifth, the 'Jacks broke up the Huskies' shutout bid. After his lone hit of the day, the sophomore swiped second and moved to third on Houston Baptist's lone error of the game. Jake Georgiades did the rest, plating Williams with a sacrifice fly to trim the Huskies' lead to 5-1.
The score remained that way until the seventh when the Huskies got that run back and more. Heck reached first to begin the home team's frame on the 'Jacks' only error of the game and was send home on Jack Fitzgerald's two-run single with one down.
Houston Baptist's second three-run inning concluded with a Tyler Depreta-Johnson sacrifice fly that extended the hosts' lead to 8-1.
SFA managed to cut that seven-run advantage in the top of the eighth when pinch-hitter Will Cenry pummeled a 1-0 pitch from Weston Smart over the wall in right field for the first home run of his collegiate career. Cerny's two-run bomb scored Nic Minor who led off the inning by getting hit with a pitch.
Ducoff, Heck and Jake Pulcheon powered the Huskies' offense, combining for eight of Houston Baptist's 13 hits and five of the squad's eight RBI. Ducoff drove in three runs while Heck and Fitzgerald plated two apiece.
On the hill, Matthew McCullough (8-3) earned the win by firing 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball and scattering five hits. Beasley (3-3) suffered the loss by giving up five of the Huskies' eight runs through five frames of 10-hit, four-strikeout ball.
The final game of SFA's 2018 season is set for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. from Husky Field where the 'Jacks will try to take the series finale with Houston Baptist. Senior Trevor Kiminski is scheduled to start for the 'Jacks in the final pitching appearance of his collegiate career.
-SFA-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCollough, Matthew (8-3)
L: Beasley, Sean (3-3)
Batting:
3B: Huber, Jarrod 1
HR: Cerny, Will 1
RBI: Georgiades, Jake 1 ; Cerny, Will 2
SF: Georgiades, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Minor, Nic 1 ; Cerny, Will 1 ; Williams, Cody 1
SB: Williams, Cody 1
HBP: Minor, Nic 1
Batting:
2B: Depreta-Johnson, T. 1 ; Ducoff, Jonathan 1 ; Halloran, Spencer 1
3B: Heck, Matt 1 ; Pulcheon, Jake 1
RBI: Depreta-Johnson, T. 1 ; Ducoff, Jonathan 3 ; Heck, Matt 2 ; Simon, Elijah 2
SF: Depreta-Johnson, T. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Depreta-Johnson, T. 1 ; Ducoff, Jonathan 1 ; Halloran, Spencer 1 ; Heck, Matt 1 ; Pulcheon, Jake 1 ; Scott, Jake 1 ; Simon, Elijah 1 ; Fitzgerald, Jack 1
CS: Heck, Matt 1
