Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Stephen F. Austin's Jackson Hood scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning that opened a three-run frame and helped the Lumberjacks defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 8-5, in a Southland Conference contest Sunday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Justin McAninch added an RBI single and Michael Haynes hit a sacrifice fly as SFA (31-20, 18-12 SLC) moved into sole possession of second place in the league standings with three games remaining in the regular season. Southeastern, which will close out the regular season beginning Thursday at Northwestern State, fell to 34-19 on the season and 17-13 in league play.
Hood led off the ninth inning when his liner glanced off the glove of a leaping
Justin Boudreaux and trickled into left field. Jarid Scarafiotti then lined a base hit into right field off Southeastern reliever
Stefan Lopez (0-2) before both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Jordan Lewis. After Hunter Dozier was intentionally walked to load the bases, Hood scored from third when Lopez uncorked a wild pitch and put the Lumberjacks ahead, 6-5.
Pinch-hitter Darren Crabtree was then intentionally walked to load the bases for SFA before McAninch came in and hit a pinch-hit single in front of a diving
Cody Gougler in right field that plated Scarafiotti and gave SFA a 7-5 lead.
SFA used consecutive doubles by Chris Hernandez and Dozier to erase a 5-4 deficit in the seventh inning. Hernandez, who went 2-for-3, hit a one-out double to left off
Jordan Hymel before Dozier followed with a double to right-center that tied the game at 5-5.
Southeastern trailed 2-0 after a half-inning before scoring three times in the bottom half of the frame.
Cass Hargis led off the inning when he was hit by a pitch before moving to third on a single by
Jonathan Pace.
Justin Boudreaux followed with an RBI double to cut the SFA lead to 2-1 before a sacrifice fly by
Jeff Harkensee and an RBI grounder by
Josh Cryer gave the Lions a 3-2 lead.
SFA regained the lead in the fourth when Garrett Smith hit a two-run double off Southeastern starter
Josh Janway that scored Bryce Cummings and Bryson Myles.
The Lions answered in the bottom of the fourth when
Brock Hebert doubled to right and scored one batter later when
Cody Gougler hit a grounder to second. Southeastern regained the lead in the sixth inning after Cryer and Hebert each hit one-out singles and Gougler reached on a fielder's choice.
Cryer, who went 2-for-4 at the plate, would score on a double steal as Gougler forced a throw to second by SFA catcher Riley Huble and eventually reached safely.
Zack Taylor (5-2) earned the win for the Lumberjacks after scattering eight hits and fanning four batters in eight innings of work. Jason West pitched the ninth inning to record his eighth save of the year for SFA, getting out of a jam when Hargis lined into a game-ending double play after the Lions put runners on the corners with one out.
Lopez took the loss for Southeastern after allowing three runs on three hits in 2.2 innings. Janway scattered 10 hits and allowed four runs in 3.2 innings before Hymel came in and allowed two hits and fanned four batters in 2.2 innings.
Myles went 3-for-6 to lead a 15-hit attack for SFA while the Lumberjacks' top five hitters in the lineup went a combined 11-for-23 with six runs scored.
Stephen F. Austin... 200 200 103 - 8 15 0 (31-20, 18-12 SLC)
Southeastern La..... 300 101 000 - 5 9 2 (34-19, 17-13 SLC)
Taylor, Jas. West (9) and Huble, Scarafiotti (9). Janway, Hymel (4), Lopez (7) and Fisher. W – Taylor (5-2). Sv. – Jas. West (8). L – Lopez (0-2). E – Boudreaux (26), Cryer (6). DP - SFA 2. LOB - SFA 11, SLU 5. 2B – Myles (10), Smith (11), Hernandez (5), Dozier (11), Boudreaux (13), Hebert (10). HBP - Hargis. SH – Lewis (4), Haynes (4). SF – Hernandez (4), Haynes (2), Harkensee (2). SB – Myles 2 (45), Smith (7), Cryer (5), Gougler (4). T - 2:55. A – 1,014.
