Stephen F. Austin
at Texas-Pan American Tournament
Lumberjacks Escape with 13-11 win
3/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 3, 2007
EDINBURG, Texas - An eight-run seventh inning fueled the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack baseball team to a 13-4 lead over the Texas-Pan American Broncs Saturday afternoon in the Al Ogletree Classic in Edinburg, Texas. With a 13-4 lead headed into the bottom of the ninth, three different SFA pitchers allowed the Broncs to pull within two. After UTPA scored seven runs, SFA's Josh Bone, making his second relief appearance of the season, forced a bases loaded fly out to right field to help the Lumberjacks narrowly escape with the 13-11 win.
SFA put an early run on the board when Steven Hill hit a base hit to left field, allowing Jeff Brewer to score from second for the 1-0 lead in the top of the first. But in the bottom half of the same inning, UTPA answered with three runs of their own to take the 3-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, with Hill and Noel Trevino on second and third, respectively, Kevin Crabtree hit his fourth home run of the season to give the Lumberjacks a one-run lead at 4-3. The Broncs, however, tied the score in the same inning.
The Lumberjacks broke the tie in a five-hit seventh inning. After Brewer reached first on a lead-off walk, he advanced to second when Trevino was hit by a pitch. The pair then scored when Hill hit a home run - his fifth of the season - to take back the lead, 7-4. Crabtree then reached when he hit a single to center field. He stole second base and proceeded to third on a throwing error by the UTPA catcher. Jeremy Arterburn then provided the sacrifice fly to score Crabtree and increase the lead to 8-4. With only one out, Jared Pitts took a base on balls and scored on a double by Justin Long, who crossed the plate on a triple from Chris Smith. Ryan Sinclair was then issued a walk to put runners on first and third when the Broncs pitcher balked to score Smith and send Sinclair to second and the score to 11-4. Sinclair advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Brewer, who was in his second at-bat of the inning, hit a single through the left side. After a ground out and a fly out, the Lumberjacks finished the inning with a 12-4 lead.
SFA added one more run in the ninth inning when Smith, who had reached on a single to right field and stole second, scored on a right-field base hit by Brewer.
The Broncs rallied in their last at-bat, scoring seven runs off seven hits, but Bone was able to help the Lumberjacks escape when he forced a fly out to right field with the bases loaded.
In the slug fest, there were 32 hits combined - 17 from SFA and 15 from the Broncs. The Lumberjacks had eight extra base hits, including two doubles from each Hill and Long. Trevino, Long and Brewer each had three hits with Smith and Crabtree collecting two.
Hill had four hits in six at-bats and was a triple away from the cycle. He had four RBI and scored two runs. His home run was the 19th of his career in a Lumberjack uniform and now ties the school's all-time record.
From the mound, starter Erich Lehmann threw six innings, giving up eight hits and four runs. He struck out four and took the win to move his record to 3-1 on the year.
SFA is now 7-9 on the year and the Broncs are 5-12.
The Lumberjacks will face the Illini of Illinois Sunday morning at 9 a.m. in the final day of the Al Ogletree Classic at Edinburg Field.
-SFA-
