'Jacks Strike Early, Clinch Southland Series at Lamar with 4-2 Win

Saturday, March 9

Beaumont, Texas

2:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

7-8, 2-0

Lamar

6-8, 0-2

Stephen F. Austin

Lamar

Photo by: SFA Athletics

'Jacks Strike Early, Clinch Southland Series at Lamar with 4-2 Win

3/9/2019 6:24:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Daley drives in two, Covington moves to 2-0 on the hill

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

BEAUMONT, Texas - Saturday afternoon at Vincent-Beck Stadium, the SFA baseball team accomplished something it hadn't done since 2013.

Win its leadoff Southland Conference series of the season.

Behind another fine starting pitching performance, this one coming from freshman left-hander Jaxon Covington who fired six strong innings, the 'Jacks struck first and weathered a comeback bid by Lamar to score a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals.

SCORING SUMMARY
T2 | With one out in the frame, Skylar Black was hit with a 2-2 offering from Lamar starter Noah Sills and after Jake Georgiades punched a single through the right side the 'Jacks were in business. A passed ball with two outs allowed Black and Georgiades to move into scoring position and Daley took it from there. The senior received credit for a pair of RBI after a single past first base that put the visitors on top 2-0.

T3 | The 'Jacks increased their lead to three and that process began when Jared Martin roped a 2-0 pitch down the left field line for a one-out double. After moving to third on a groundout, Martin raced home on Sean Moore's RBI single which made matters 3-0.

B5 | Logan LeJeune started the process of breaking up the 'Jacks' shutout bid in the home half of the fifth when he started the frame with a double. A one-out single from Rhett McCall trimmed SFA's lead to 3-1 and after scampering to third on a passed ball McCall crossed home plate on an RBI groundout by Avery George. Two of Lamar's five hits to that point came in the fifth.

T6 | SFA wasted little tie in pushing its lead back to two runs once the Cardinals had pulled within one. Moore started the sixth with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a productive groundout by Manny Vasquez. After Skylar Black was hit with a pitch, Georgiades drove Moore home with a fielder's choice ball to second, pushing SFA's lead back to two, 4-2.

AT THE DISH
• Half of SFA's eight hits came off the bats of Moore and Uhse. Moore went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Uhse also posted a pair of base knocks. Daley drove in a pair of runs for SFA who did not draw a walk the entire game.
• Two of Lamar's eight hits came off of McCall's bat who drove in one and scored a run as well.

ON THE MOUND
• Covington upped his 2019 record to 2-0 by working six frames of six-hit, two run ball. Only one of the runs surrendered by the freshman southpaw was earned and once the 'Jacks' bullpen took over in the final three frames the Cardinals' bats were rendered almost useless.
• Trayson Kubo worked 1/3 of an inning before Austin Roth came in to finish the seventh. Roth struck out one of the two batters he faced.
• From there, the ball was handed over to senior Jesus Gamez who finished off Lamar. Gamez secured his first save of 2019 by tossing the final two innings. Aside from a two-out single by Lamar in the ninth, the senior was perfect.
• Errors plagued the Cardinals' starter Sills (0-2) who was hit with the loss despite giving up just one earned run of the four he surrendered. Seven of the 'Jacks' hits came off of Sills. Austin Smith took over for the final 3 2/3 innings and limited SFA to just one hit in that time.

ON DECK
• Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., the 'Jacks go gunning for their first Southland Conference since 2017 when they take the field against Lamar in the series finale. SFA has not yet announced a starting pitcher for its third game against the Cardinals.

-SFA-