Sgambelluri Slices Up Golden Lions, Racks Up 11 Strikeouts in SFA's 4-2 Win

Tuesday, April 30

Pine Bluff, Ark.

3:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

21-24

Arkansas - Pine Bluff

6-37

Stephen F. Austin

Ark-Pine Bluff

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Sgambelluri Slices Up Golden Lions, Racks Up 11 Strikeouts in SFA's 4-2 Win

4/30/2019 7:40:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Junior yields just one hit through seven innings of work

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Upon arriving for its non-conference game at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the SFA baseball team was surprised as anyone that no umpires were in attendance to begin the game at its regularly scheduled 3:00 p.m. time.

One hour later, when the officials arrived, junior right-hander Joseph Sgambelluri made sure the 'Jacks made up for their lost time.

Putting forth his finest pitching performance in an SFA uniform so far, Sgambelluri struck out a career-high 11 batters during his seven innings of one-hit ball while Marcus Mendez and Carson Chapman powered SFA's nine-hit attack by driving in three of its four runs in a 4-2 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tuesday afternoon at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex.

SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | Wasting no time in giving starter Joseph Sgambelluri a lead to work with, the 'Jacks struck early. Designated hitter Cully Mangus won a six-pitch battle with Arkansas-Pine Bluff starter Race Tittle by drawing a two-out walk. After swiping second for the first time in his collegiate career, Mangus marched home when Marcus Mendez mashed an RBI to the gap in left-center to put the visitors up 1-0.

T8 | Though it did not seem so at the time, the two runs the 'Jacks added to start the eighth proved to be the most important of the game. SFA's two-out run production started when Antonio Lima delivered an infield single before swiping second base. Following a five-pitch walk to Mangus, Mendez and Carson Chapman kept the line moving by punching RBI singles to the outfield that upped the 'Jacks' lead to 3-0.

B8 | The second Sgambelluri exited the game, Arkansas-Pine Bluff was able to take advantage. Bryce Roesch began the home half of the eighth by drilling a single off of SFA relief arm Derek Wells before Wells plunked Larry Sims to put runners at first and second. With one swing of the bat, Ryan Mallison made it a one-run game by driving a two-run single to the gap in right-center. After advancing to second on the throw, senior right-hander Jesus Gamez took over for Wells and stranded Mallison at third by getting a pop-up and a ground ball to end the Golden Lions' only threat.

T9 | Taking advantage of the Golden Lions' lone error of the game, SFA lengthened the top of the ninth just enough to score its final run of the night. Cole Lightfoot reached on an error to put runners on the corners with one out and following a four-pitch walk to Kyle Cullen that loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Jaime Lovell notched his first RBI in an SFA uniform by lofting a sacrifice fly to center that scored pinch runner Carson Clowers. That run was SFA's fourth and final of the game.

AT THE DISH
• Using a lineup consisting primarily of reserves, the 'Jacks were able to get the job done. SFA's lineup consisted of players who had started a combined 28 games heading into Tuesday afternoon's non-conference showdown.
• Mendez pushed half of the 'Jacks' runs across home plate Tuesday afternoon by going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
• Batting in the five-hole, Chapman put forth the first multi-hit effort of his collegiate career by going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• In his first time taking at-bats in a game as a Lumberjack, Mangus went 1-for-3 with two walks and scored two of the team's four runs.
• Lightfoot, Lima and Mangus each stole a base.
• Mallison notched two of the Golden Lions' three hits en route to a 2-for-3 performance. He also drove in the home team's only two runs of the night.

ON THE HILL
• Sgambelluri (2-4) was nothing short of magnificent, limiting the Golden Lions to just a single hit through his seven innings of work. The junior sat down the first 10 batters he faced and faced the minimum number of batters through his first five frames.
• The junior's no-hit bid got broken up in the home half of the sixth when Mallison started the frame with a single to left field.
• Senior left-hander Tyler Starks came on in the bottom of the ninth and retired the Golden Lions in order to notch his team-leading sixth save of the season.
• With the save, Starks upped his career total to 19 which ties former 'Jack great Jason West for the second-most in the history of the program.
• The saves was also SFA's 17th of the season which tied the program record for saves in a season originally set by the 2011 squad.
• For Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Race Tittle (1-2) suffered the loss by scattering nine hits across his eight innings of work. All three of the runs Tittle gave up were earned and he finished with four of the team's five strikeouts.

ON DECK
• With their first non-conference win in three weeks in hand, the 'Jacks continue their season-long road swing by heading to Louisiana for a three-game Southland Conference series. Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., the 'Jacks open up their three-game set with McNeese at Joe Miller Ballpark by sending junior right-hander Alex Palmer to the mound.

-SFA-