Box Score LITTLE ROCK - Stephen F. Austin (27-12) received a solid performance from starter Brett Rogers and outhit the UALR baseball team 13-to-5 on Tuesday night en route to a 3-2 win over the Trojans (21-21) at Gary Hogan Field.
Rogers (3-1) scattered three hits and held the Trojans to one unearned run, with four strikeouts, over 5.0 innings to help the 'Jacks take a 2-1 lead. Down 3-1 after six, the Trojans pulled within a run thanks to a solo homer by senior Nate Brown in the seventh. After cutting its deficit to 3-2, however, UALR went on to leave the bases loaded in the seventh and squandered scoring opportunities in the eighth and ninth.
Riley Huble and Tanner Hines totaled three hits apiece to lead the SFA offense. Reliever Jason West recorded his eighth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts.
UALR starter Anthony Pryor (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing seven hits and two runs over 3.1 innings. Senior Sean Potter held the 'Jacks to five hits and a run over the next 3.2 innings, while juniors Ryan Juris and John Maler combined to blank SFA over the final two frames.
SFA jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Bobby Loveless plated Hines with a RBI double down the left field line. The 'Jacks threatened to extend their lead to 2-0 in the top of the second after putting two runners on with one out, but junior Bryce Killingsworth made a diving catch on a line drive to left and caught Patrick Gratzke off the bag at second base to complete the inning-ending double play. Killingsworth's diving catch was the first of three superb defensive plays by the Hartshorne, Okla.-native, who went on to throw out two runners at the plate from left field.
UALR evened things up at 1-all in the bottom of the second as senior Landis Wilson scored from third on a RBI groundout by junior Brock Feldmann. Wilson reached on a fielding error to open the frame and worked his way over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brown and an infield single by freshman Tyler Cameron.
SFA broke the 1-all tie in the top of the fourth when Darren Crabtree followed up a double by Huble with a run-scoring single through the right side. Pryor walked Gratzke to put two runners on with one out, and then fell behind in the count to Justin Long, 2-1. Potter took the mound and threw two more balls to Long to load the bases with one out, but struck out the next batter he faced and got an inning-ending 4-3 groundout from Hines to escape the jam without further damage.
Killingsworth kept the Trojans in the game in the top of the fifth with back-to-back outfield assists to the plate from left field. Jarid Scarafiotti was the first victim, as he was nailed at the plate 7-2 as he tried to score from second on a single through the left side by Ryan Priest. Priest tried to do the same thing moments later on a single through the left side by Huble, but was tagged out at the plate as Killingsworth delivered a perfect strike to Wilson.
The 'Jacks extended their lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth after Crabtree got things going with a leadoff walk. Crabtree moved up on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a two-out, RBI single to right by Michael Haynes.
Rogers held the Trojans to three hits and one unearned run over the first five innings, but gave way to Brett Higginbotham at the start of the sixth. Higginbotham worked an uneventful sixth inning, but Brown delivered a solo homer to right (his sixth of the year) to open the bottom of the seventh and make it a 3-2 contest.
Higginbotham then walked Cameron before giving way to Brad Oates, who hit junior Casey McCollum and walked junior Jake Rowell to load the bases with two outs on the board. With the tying run at third, Oates was able to strike out the next batter he faced to escape the jam and preserve the 3-2 lead.
UALR had scoring opportunities in the eighth and ninth, but came away empty handed both innings. The Trojans had a runner at second with one out on the board in the eighth, but SFA got a strike 'em out, throw 'em out (2-5 caught stealing) double play to end the inning.
Rogers issued a leadoff walk to Cameron to open the ninth, and the El Dorado, Ark.-native was able to move into scoring position on a passed ball. Rogers buckled down to get a pop up from the next batter he faced, and then closed out the game with consecutive strikeouts to seal the win.
UALR returns to action this weekend when it welcomes New Orleans to Gary Hogan Field for a three-game series. Friday's series opener begins at 6 p.m.
