Vasquez Rips Two Doubles, Palmer Works 6 2/3 Friday against Southeastern Louisiana

Friday, March 29

Nacogdoches, Texas

6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

13-14, 0

Southeastern Louisiana

13-12, 0

Southeastern La.

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Vasquez Rips Two Doubles, Palmer Works 6 2/3 Friday against Southeastern Louisiana

3/29/2019 9:57:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

'Jacks muster six hits, remain atop Southland standings despite setback

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - In their first home Southland Conference home game in nearly two weeks, the SFA baseball team found itself deadlocked with Southeastern Louisiana through six innings but the visiting Lions plated three runs in a four-hit seventh inning in order to help them secure a 5-1 win Friday night at Jaycees Field.

Despite the loss, the 'Jacks remain in a tie for first place in the Southland Conference standings with Sam Houston State. The Bearkats also lost (4-3 at home to McNeese) while Central Arkansas, who sits one game back of SFA and Sam Houston State, dropped a 5-4 decision on the road at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | The very first pitch of the game resulted in the hit the Lions needed to get an early jump on the 'Jacks. After his leadoff single, Cody Grosse swiped second and came home on a one-out RBI double off the bat of Kyle Schimpf to push Southeastern Louisiana ahead 1-0.

B2 | Some timely hitting in the second helped the hosts draw even with their Louisiana adversaries. Manny Vasquez started the frame by roping his team-leading eighth double to left field and Sean Moore followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Jordan Monacy did the rest, lifting a deep fly ball to left-center for a sacrifice fly that allowed Vasquez to come home from third and tie the game.

T7 | After four scoreless frames, it was the visitors who broke the 1-1 deadlock. Brennan Breaud and Nick Ray greeted Palmer with a single and a double respectively to start the inning. With runners at second and third, Nathan Pilutti pushed Southeastern Louisiana ahead 2-1 with an RBI groundout. After Ray swiped third, Bryce Steckler's RBI groundout made matters 3-1. The Lions capped their three-run frame by watching Grosse drop an RBI single into no-man's-land out in left-center to put them ahead 4-1.

T9 | The final Southeastern Louisiana run of the night crossed home plate after the second of SFA's two errors on the night. Breaud reached first on a fielding miscue which allowed Grosse to come home. Grosse also reached on an error to lead off the frame.

AT THE DISH
• Vasquez proved to be the 'Jacks' primary weapon on offense as the senior went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. The senior put forth SFA's only two extra-base hits of the night.
• Pinch-hitter Kyle Cullen came up with a single in the eighth while Georgiades, Jared Martin and Sean Moore accounted for one hit each in SFA's six-hit attack.
• Grosse, Ray and Schimpf each delivered a pair of hits to lead Southeastern Louisiana's nine-hit attack. Grosse and Schrimpf drove in one run apiece while Grosse and Ray combined to score three of the visitors' five runs.

ON THE HILL
• Palmer (3-2) tossed 6 2/3 innings of eight-hit, four-run baseball and suffered his second loss of the season. The junior racked up four of the 'Jacks' 10 strikeouts through his night on the bump.
• Austin Roth came in and punched out four through his 1 1/3 innings of action. He let up one hit and walked one. As a staff, SFA issued six walks.
• Corey Gaconi tossed eight innings of five-hit, one-run baseball to move to 3-2 on the year. The senior racked up seven of the eight strikeouts Lion pitchers accumulated on the night.
• Bryce Tassin worked a scoreless ninth and stranded two SFA runners in scoring position.

ON DECK
• The 'Jacks and Lions will continue their Southland series at 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon from Jaycees Field. Freshman left-hander Jaxon Covington is scheduled to start for SFA while Southeastern Louisiana has yet to name a starting pitcher.

-SFA-