Box Score NACOGDOCHES – One day after dropping both ends of a doubleheader that saw the two teams combine to score 39 runs, ACU and Stephen F. Austin hooked up in a low-scoring pitcher's duel Sunday afternoon at Jaycees Field.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they once again ended up on the wrong end of the 4-2 final score in the finale of the three-game Southland Conference baseball series. SFA scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to break a 2-2 tie to take the win and the series sweep.
The Wildcats – who earlier this season had a seven-game winning streak – have now lost six straight to fall to 9-13 overall and 1-8 in the Southland, while the Lumberjacks improve to 13-13 and 3-3. ACU will be back in action Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when it hosts Texas-Permian Basin at Crutcher Scott Field.
That's the beginning of a seven-game homestand that will also see the Wildcats host league leaders McNeese (18-6 overall, 9-0 in the league) and Sam Houston State (17-7, 6-0) on back-to-back weekends.
The Wildcats – who dropped 11-8 and 14-6 decisions Saturday – got on top early Sunday with a solo home run in the first inning by
Derek Scott, his third of the season. SFA answered with a pair f runs in the bottom of the second when catcher Jarrod Huber dumped a two-out, 0-2 pitch into left field for a two-run single to give his team a 2-1 lead.
The game stayed there until the top of the eighth when the Wildcats manufactured a run to tie the score.
Mark Pearson led off with a single and went to second when
Lane Bourland reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt.
Cole Solomon then loaded the bases when SFA pitcher Will Vest threw wildly to third on Solomon's bunt.
With nobody out and the bases loaded, Pearson scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, moving the go-ahead runs into scoring position. But
Dalon Farkas lined out to second base for the firs tout before Scott flew out to shallow right field. After
Luis Trevino was intentionally walked,
Anthony Dominguez grounded out to the first baseman to end the inning.
SFA made ACU pay for its inability to put anymore runs on the board when the Lumberjacks immediately got the go-ahead run on base when Alex Hrinevich reached on a throwing error by Solomon at third base. The error allowed Hrinevich to go to second, and he went to third when Chad Dunlop singled into shallow left field.
Hrinevich then scored the eventual game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Josh Campbell to make it 3-2. Dunlop later scored an insurance run on a single by Tyler Kendrick to make it a 4-2 game. In the ninth,
Russell Crippen – who had a hit to run his hitting streak to 22 games – walked and went to second on a balk. But he was left stranded there as Tyler Starks finished the game for the Lumberjacks with a pair of strikeouts.
