Uhse Leads SFA's Offense with Three Hits, Palmer Strikes Out Five in Series Opener with SHSU

Friday, April 12

Nacogdoches, Texas

5:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

15-20, 8-5

Sam Houston State

21-10, 13-3

Sam Houston State

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Uhse Leads SFA's Offense with Three Hits, Palmer Strikes Out Five in Series Opener with SHSU

4/12/2019 8:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Bearkats strike for one run each in the eighth and ninth to walk away with series-opening victory

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - A battle between two of the Southland Conference's premier right-handers lived up to its billing but at the end of the night it was visiting Sam Houston State that got the upper hand on the SFA baseball team as the Bearkats broke a 2-2 deadlock with a solo homer in the eighth before adding one more in the ninth to secure a 4-2 league victory Friday evening at Jaycees Field.

SCORING SUMMARY
B3 | SFA was able to draw first blood against Southland strikeout leader Hayden Wesneski by taking advantage of the Bearkats' sole miscue of the game. Nick Daley roped a two-out double down the left field line before freshman outfielder Brandon Uhse sent a fly ball to right. Jack Rogers misplayed the fly, allowing it to drop which let Daley race home from second to put SFA ahead 1-0.

T4 | A three-hit frame by the Bearkats allowed the visitors to pull even. Clayton Harp started the frame with a single and Jordan Cannon drove him to third with a double off of SFA starter Alex Palmer. Fortunately the junior right-hander was able to limit the damage done by the Bearkats by letting up only one run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Gavin Johnson. SFA's defense also helped it get out of the top of the fourth without giving up a crooked number after the 'Jacks caught two Bearkats base thieves.

B4 | One of the 'Jacks' three doubles in the ballgame played a part in helping the home team grab its final lead of the game. Sean Moore led off SFA's fourth with a two-bagger to the gap in left-center. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jake Georgiades, Moore slid under the tag at home plate on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Monacy to push SFA ahead 2-1.

T5 | The long ball powered the Bearkats' comeback bid that started in the fifth. Jackson Loftin hammered a 2-1 offering from Palmer out beyond the fence in left and the shortstop's long ball pulled Sam Houston State even with the 'Jacks.

T8 | Another one-out round-tripper - this one off the bat of leadoff man Colton Cowser - handed the Bearkats the lead for good. Cowser launched a no-doubter to right-center and the freshman's solo shot pushed the Bearkats ahead by a 3-2 margin.

T9 | With palmer out of the game, the Bearkats scored their fourth run of the game off of the 'Jacks' relief arm combo of Tyler Starks and Jeremy Rodriguez. Johnson made his way to first on a fielder's choice ball and was pulled for pinch runner Eric Bohnert who made his way to second when Starks issued a one-out walk to Riley McKnight. From there, Rodriguez took over and struck out Diego Davila on four pitches before letting up an RBI single off the bat of Loftin.

AT THE DISH
• Uhse led the 'Jacks' nine-hit attack by going 3-for-5 at the dish. The freshman's three hits represented a game-high and marked the fourth time in 2019 the Grand Prairie, Texas, product put forth a three-hit effort.
• Moore was the only other 'Jack who enjoyed a multi-hit outing, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
• Loftin - the Bearkats' nine-hole hitter - directed Sam Houston State's offensive attack by going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Cannon and Hunter Hearn each enjoyed 2-for-4 showing at the plate to help pace Sam Houston State's 10-hit attack.
• SFA had a pair of golden opportunities to put more runs on the board, but did not convert either time. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the 'Jacks had runners on first and second but Uhse was thrown out between second and third on a rundown play to end the frame. In the eighth, Moore and Georgiades led off with singles to put runners on the corners with nobody out but a foul out a strikeout and a fly ball to right put the kibosh on the 'Jacks' golden opportunity.

ON THE HILL
• Palmer (3-4) found himself on the receiving end of a third-straight Friday night setback despite giving up just three runs through eight solid frames of work. The junior gave up eight hits and did not allow a walk in his five-strikeout performance.
• Wesneski (6-0) stayed perfect by firing seven innings of six-hit, two-run baseball. The junior walked a pair and struck out three.
• Nick Mickolajchak fired the final two innings of the game fo the Bearkats, letting up three hits and striking out two to lock up his fifth save of 2019.

ON DECK
• With torrential rain forecasted to hit Nacogdoches Saturday, the 'Jacks and Bearkats will wrap up their three-game Southland Conference series with a doubleheader at Jaycees Field Sunday morning. First pitch in game one is set for 10:30 a.m. with junior left-hander Jacob Stobart getting the ball for the home team. The second game of the twinbill will begin approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one.

-SFA-