Published: May 17, 2008 01:10 am            

SFA gets even with Bearkats

Lumberjacks swing bats, make pitches and plays in 8-6 victory

For one day at least, Stephen F. Austin turned the tables on archrival Sam Houston State.

On Friday afternoon, the Lumberjacks outhit and outscored a team that has been banging around the baseball since February. Stephen F. Austin, which had its postseason hopes dashed in a 10-4 loss Thursday night, collected 16 hits Friday and beat the Bearkats 8-6.

The Lumberjacks (12-17 in Southland Conference play, 25-28 overall) also got some solid pitching from starter Kevin Thomas (6-4) and reliever Richard Folmer, who picked up his fifth save by holding the Bearkats in check over the final three frames.

SFA jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, then with Folmer’s help, the Lumberjacks held on and beat the Bearkats, who dropped to 17-12 in Southland play and 32-23 on the season.

“We got some pitches to hit, but their guys threw well, especially their last guy,” SHSU third baseman Seth Hammock said after going 0-for-4 with one run scored. “He was deceptive with his pitches. Our scouting report said to be patient and take a lot of pitches because he had walked a bunch of batters. He filled up the (strike) zone today. He had a good slider and good stuff.”

Folmer and Thomas did a superb job against the heart of the Bearkat batting order. The two veteran right-handers held Bobby Verbick, Hammock and Nick Zaleski hitless in 12 at-bats Friday, a day after those three hitters combined to go 9-for-13 with six runs scored and seven RBIs. The Bearkats had 16 hits in the series opener and only 10 Friday.

“The bottom line is their pitchers did a good job on us,” SHSU coach Mark Johnson said. “We had a chance in the eighth, but we couldn’t get it done. It was one of those days. They got on our pitching early and they had a lot of balls fall in. That’s baseball.”

The Bearkats scored a run off Folmer in the seventh to make it a two-run game. Daniel Nottebart, who went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, drove in Heath Pugh when he ripped a two-out single to right off Folmer.

An inning later, the Kats loaded the bases and had the meat of their order coming up with the tying run in scoring position, but Folmer struck out Hammock and got Zaleski to line a shot up the middle. The ball caromed off Folmer’s foot directly to SFA shortstop Jeff Brewer, who stepped on second base to end the threat.

“If that one thing goes our way we probably win the game,” Hammock said. “They had a lot of bloop hits and those things were the difference today.”

Not all of the Lumberjacks’ 16 hits were bloops or bleeders. First baseman Sean Meyers, a junior from Conroe, collected three hits, including a pair of doubles down the right-field line. Designated hitter Kevin Croft added four hits, two RBIs and three runs scored. Catcher Matt Whatley tagged SHSU starter Guillaume Duguay for a two-run homer in the second inning and SFA added three more runs in the third on a day when Duguay (3-2) did not have his best stuff.

Duguay gave up nine hits and six runs in four innings. Lefty Will Skelton relieved and allowed four hits and two more runs. Matt Shelton and Adam Albright pitched the last three innings for SHSU, and they did not let the Lumberjacks score.

The Bearkats made the game interesting when they hung four runs on the board in the bottom of the third. Todd Sebek ripped an RBI double and Keith Stein followed with a run-scoring single. After SFA third baseman Justin Roland robbed Hammock of a hit, Heath Pugh and Nottebart contributed RBI singles to make it 6-4.

Ryan Weber, Stein, Pugh and Nottebart had two hits apiece for the Bearkats, who finish the regular season today with a 1 p.m. game against the Lumberjacks. Freshman right-hander Zach Neal is scheduled to start for SHSU.

        

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