Timely Hits, Key Defensive Play Helped Sam Houston Defeat SFA 5-4

By Cheval John

Sam Houston State took the first game of the weekend series against arch-rival Stephen F. Austin by the score of 5-4 at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas.

Though Sam Houston (14-8 Southland Conference play, 32-14 overall) had left 10 runners on base, they overcame that with timely hits.

One of those timely hits came from right fielder Travis Lee.

Lee went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs.

Lee’s first RBI came in the bottom of the second when he hit a single to right fielder that scored short stop Corey Toups, who led off with a walk, advanced to second and third on back-to-back sacrifice bunts by second baseman Shea Pierce and left fielder Luke Plucheck, easily from third base.

Though Stephen F. Austin (8-14 conference, 17-28 overall) had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning on a two out, two run home run by right fielder Ricardo Sanchez, a defense play from Bearkat center fielder Colt Atwood before the two run blast turned out to be key.

Lumberjack second baseman Conner Fikes led off the third with a double and was attempting to score the first run on a one out single by center fielder Matthew Dickey.

However, Atwood threw him out at home plate for the second out.

The Bearkats responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs to make it 3-2.

Pierce started the rally when he had a one out single.

He advanced to third on a single by Plucheck, while advancing to second on the error.

The next batter, Lee hit a single to left field that drove in Pierce to tie it up at 2.

Atwood followed with a sacrifice fly that capped the inning.

Sam Houston added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning to increase the lead to 4-2 on a RBI single by Lee.

First baseman Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning made it 5-2.

Lumberjacks was not going away quietly as they cut the lead to 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning on a RBI single by Brett Thornell.

Stephen F. Austin drew within a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth inning after Fikes, who was running on the play, led off with a single and advanced to second base on a ground out by Sanchez, scored from second on a throwing error by reliever Andrew Godail.

Stephen F. Austin made it more interesting in the top of the ninth inning when Fikes led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Nick Ramos.

However, Ramos would remain stranded as reliever Ryan Brinley struck out the next two batters to secure the win for the Bearkats.

The second game of baseball’s version of “The Battle of The Piney Woods” begins today at 4 p.m.