Stephen F. Austin Comes up Short
Washington State 4, Stephen F. Austin 3
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A late inning rally once again came up just short as Stephen F. Austin closed out the 2015 Tipton Ford Classic with a 4-3 loss to Washington State at Jaycees Field. The loss drops SFA to 1-3 on the year while the Cougars improved to 2-2.
The loss came despite the fact the Lumberjacks allowed just two Washington State hits all night, but both hits accounted for Cougar runs. The ‘Jack pitching staff gave up 11 walks on the night as well, helping the Cougars push across enough runs to get the victory.
On a chilly night at Jaycees Field, in which the first pitch temperature was just 34 degrees, Washington State struck first, using a pair of walks and an SFA error to take a 1-0 lead after the top of the first. The Cougars extended that advantage to 2-0 in the third off an RBI single to left – the first of WSU’s two hits.
SFA rallied with a run in the bottom half of the third as Dan O’Neill reached on a throwing error by the Cougar third baseman, allowing
Matthew Dickey to score from third.
The Lumberjacks then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth off a pair of runs, the first of which came on an RBI blooper to right from
Will Vest. With runners at the corners, SFA then successfully pulled off the double steal as Vest distracted the Cougar pitcher long enough for
Anthony Soriano to slide home, giving the ‘Jacks the 3-2 lead.
That advantage stood until the sixth when Washington State used a two-RBI double to right to push across the tying and winning runs. The Lumberjacks mounted one last rally in the eighth, loading the bases off a single from
Tyler Boxwell, a double from
Eric DeJesus and a Dickey walk. But
Conner Fikes lined out on a hard hit ball to center, ending the SFA threat.
Nick Ramos led the way offensively for SFA, going 3-for-4 on the night. Four other Lumberjacks recorded hits with Vest notching the lone RBI on the night for the ‘Jacks.
Starter Patrick Day went 3.0 innings in his collegiate debut, allowing two runs (one earned) with one hit and five strikeouts.
Chris Hassold (0-1) was tagged with the loss after going 2.1 innings and allowing two earned runs on one hit and four strikeouts. Once again, the SFA bullpen was solid, allowing no Cougar hits over the final 3.1 innings with six strikeouts.
The game capped the 2015 SFA Tipton Ford Baseball Classic at Jaycees Field and the Lumberjacks’ four-game season-opening homestand. The ‘Jacks now head on the road for the next four, beginning Tuesday evening when SFA heads to College Station to battle 22nd-ranked Texas A&M at Olsen Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.