SFA Ends First Series in California Sunday at 19th-Ranked UC Santa Barbara

Sunday, April 7

Santa Barbara, Calif.

3:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

14-19

#19 UC Santa Barbara

23-5

Stephen F. Austin

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: SFA Athletics

SFA Ends First Series in California Sunday at 19th-Ranked UC Santa Barbara

4/7/2019 5:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Black puts an end to Gauchos' no-hit bid in the eighth

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Less than 24 hours after generating 12 runs on 11 hits against one of the nation's best pitching staffs, the SFA baseball team found it difficult to get anything going against 19th-ranked UC Santa Barbara starter Rodney Boone in a 7-0 series-ending setback to the Gauchos Sunday afternoon.

Boone took a no-hit bid into the eighth before it was broken up by junior catcher Skylar Black's one-out single.

SCORING SUMMARY
B4 | After stranding the Gauchos' first three baserunners of the game, SFA starter Jaxon Covington was unable to leave the fourth on base. Thomas Rowan led off the Gauchos' fourth by blasting a 2-1 offering from Covington beyond the fence in left. That solo homer gave the home team a lead it would never relinquish and some one-out hitting allowed it to pad the lead. After Andrew Martinez drove a double to the gap in left-center, Jason Willow brought his teammate with an RBI single to right-center to make matters 2-0.

B5 | Back-to-back Gaucho singles followed up by the 'Jacks' lone error of the day loaded the bases for the home team to start the frame. UC Santa Barbara's lead increased to 3-0 courtesy of Rowan who drove in his second run of the day with a sacrifice fly to left-center. The Gauchos completed their second-straight two-run inning with a two-out RBI single to left off the bat of Martinez which upped the hosts' edge to 4-0.

B8 | The Gauchos' last three runs of the afternoon came in the home half of the eighth. Tevin Mitchell started the home team's three-run frame by lacing a one-out triple pas a diving Kyle Cullen in center field. Eric Yang brought Mitchell home with an RBI single before Trayson Kubo and Seth Campbell each issued a bases-loaded walk to plate two more UC Santa Barbara runs. Catcher Jaime Lovell ended the frame with a great catch in foul ground to prevent further Gaucho runs from scoring.

AT THE DISH
• Black broke up a no-hit bid by UC Santa Barbara starter Rodney Boone in the top of the eighth by punching a one-out single through the right side of the Gauchos' infield.
• The junior reached base twice, the first time coming after he was hit by a pitch in the top of the second inning. For the game, SFA put just four men on base.
• Each of the Gauchos' first eight hitters in the lineup finished with at least one hit to power the home team's 14-hit assault. Rowan, Willow, Mitchell, Martinez, O'Connor McClain and Yang each finished with a pair of hits while Rowan, Willow and Martinez drove in two runs apiece. Rowan, Mitchell and Yang scored two runs each for UC Santa Barbara.
• SFA's pitching and defense helped it strand 13 Gauchos on the base paths on the afternoon.

ON THE HILL
• Boone (3-0) was pulled from the game after giving up Black's one-out single in the eighth but still went on to earn the win. The left-hander walked one and struck out three before turning things over to Michael McGreevy and Joshua Candau to finish the job.
• Covington (3-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on 10 hits through his five innings of work. Just two of those runs were earned for the freshman who totaled two of the 'Jacks' six strikeouts.

ON DECK
• With their trip to the west coast in the book, the 'Jacks return to Jaycees Field to begin a stretch of four consecutive home contests. That run begins Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. when SFA plays host to SWAC foe Grambling State.

-SFA-