SFA's Season Ends against Southeastern Louisiana at Southland Conference Tournament

Friday, May 24

Sugar Land, Texas

9:00 a.m.

Stephen F. Austin

25-33

#3 Southeastern Louisiana

32-26

Stephen F. Austin

Southeastern La.

SFA's Season Ends against Southeastern Louisiana at Southland Conference Tournament

5/24/2019 12:33:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

'Jacks' 4-3 loss ends their Southland Conference Tournament run

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

SUGAR LAND, Texas - It appeared as though the SFA baseball team had a comeback up its sleeve when it loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth inning, but the 'Jacks wound up on the wrong end of a 4-3 result against Southeastern Louisiana Friday morning in a Southland Conference Tournament elimination game at Constellation Field.

The Lions, who faced the wrath of Alex Palmer in the 'Jacks' Southland Conference Tournament opener, plated two runs in the second and two more in the fourth to build up a 4-0 lead. After the 'Jacks put just one man on the base paths through the first four innings, they racked up five of their six hits through the final five frames to jump-start their attempt to send Southeastern Louisiana home.

SCORING SUMMARY
B2 | Nathan Pilutti recorded the game's first hit on a one-out single before SFA starter Jacob Stobart issued a pair of walks to load the bases. The first of two Lumberjack errors helped the Lions jump on the board when Trey Harrington reached on a fielder's choice. Instead of trying to get Harrington at first, Manny Vasquez tried to gun down Pilutti at the plate but his throw went wide of Huber to make matters 1-0. Conner Manola doubled the Lions' lead by notching a sacrifice fly that put the 'Jacks in a 2-0 hole.

B4 | With one swing of the bat, Bryce Steckler pushed the Lions' lead from two runs to four in the fourth. The Lions' leadoff man teed off on a 1-0 offering from Lumberjack lefty Tyler Starks and launched it out of the park for a two-run homer that made SFA's disadvantage 4-0.

T5 | Right after Steckler's long ball, the 'Jacks got to work and started to hit the comeback trail. Vasquez coaxed an 11-pitch walk from Lions' starter Will Warren to start the fifth before Jake Georgiades drew an eight-pitch base-on-balls to put a pair of runners on with one down. Jordan Monacy then extended hit hitting streak to five games by punching an RBI single up the middle to trim the Lions' lead to 4-1. Senior catcher Jarrod Huber pulled the 'Jacks' within two by pushing Georgiades home with a sacrifice fly.

T9 | Needing two more runs to force a bottom of the ninth, the 'Jacks put themselves in a great position to get them when Antonio Lima, Brandon Uhse and Vasquez strung together consecutive singles to load the bags with nobody out. One out later, Georgiades drove in a run with an RBI fielder's choice ball that scored Lima to make matters 4-3. Regrettable, Monacy's fly ball to center field that ended both the game and the 'Jacks' season.

ON THE HILL
• Stobart (6-5) worked his way through three innings of action and was tagged with the loss. The junior left-hander walked four and struck out three while letting up just two runs - one of which was earned.
• Austin Roth and Jesus Gamez pitched the final three innings for the 'Jacks and let up just a single hit between them. Roth struck out a trio of batters - all in the sixth - to make sure SFA stayed within striking distance.
• Warren (3-7) locked down the win by firing seven frames of two-hit, two-run baseball. The Lions' starter issued a trio of walks and struck out five before handing things over to the Lions' bullpen.
• Jared Biddy tossed a one-run ninth to notch his 12th save of the season.

AT THE DISH
• Though the Lions notched just three hits in the win, two of them were of the extra-base variety. Steckler's two-run homer dealt the most damage to the 'Jacks' chances and he was one of three Lions who reached base twice.
• In his final game in a Lumberjack uniform, Lima led the 'Jacks' six-hit attack with a 2-for-4 performance.
• Four other 'Jacks notched singles in the win including Jarrod Huber, Monacy, Uhse and Vasquez.
• SFA had its chances, but grounded into a trio of double plays that killed a number of potential run scoring opportunities.

ON DECK
• The Lions will move on to face Central Arkansas at 4:00 p.m. in a do-or-die game for Southeastern Louisiana. The 'Jacks, meanwhile, will prepare for the 2020 season.
• Friday's season finale marked the end of the careers of 11 Lumberjack seniors including Cody Adams, Daley, Gamez, Georgiades, Tony Grabowske, Austin Hearn, Huber, Trayson Kubo, Lima, Starks, Vasquez.

-SFA-