The bullpen struggled in the sixth inning of Sunday’s series finale, costing the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff a chance to win its first series of the season.
Stephen F. Austin escaped the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex with a four-game split against the UAPB baseball team after the Lumberjacks won 11-5.
UAPB coach Logan Stout said the bullpen simply didn’t throw strikes in the sixth inning.
“This is the time when you find out what you have and don’t have, and those are good pitchers,” Stout said. “They simply just didn’t pitch well, but they’re good pitchers. They’ll be fine their next outing, but yeah. You take the one inning away, we’re winning, so it’s a totally different game.”
The game was tied at 3 entering the sixth. UAPB (4-4) starting pitcher Ryland Morin exited the game after SFA designated hitter Julian Swift led off with a single.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
After left-handed reliever Troy McLeese (0-1) took over, first baseman Lazaro Alvarado turned an unassisted double play by catching a line drive from SFA (7-2) first baseman Mark Henning and stepping on first base, leaving the bases empty with no outs. McLeese exited the game one hitter later after third baseman Ethan Pena doubled.
From that point, three relievers issued a combined six walks while allowing two additional hits. Henning made up for his double play by hitting a 2-RBI single, capping off a 7-run inning which featured four bases-loaded walks. The Lumberjacks sent 12 hitters to the plate before a fly out finally ended it, with SFA taking a 10-3 lead.
The rough sixth inning spoiled what had been a good start from Morin. He allowed 2 earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
The first three Lumberjacks reached base against Morin. After a leadoff triple and a walk, Swift hit an RBI double to give SFA an early 1-0 lead. After a mound visit, Morin retired the next three hitters, though Pena’s groundout allowed a run to score to make it 2-0.
After Swift’s double, Morin retired 14 of the final 18 hitters he saw. He allowed three singles, each in a different inning, with the other hitter reaching on an error.
Junior left-hander Nate Lee pitched the final two innings and held SFA scoreless, allowing one hit with one strikeout across the nine hitters he faced.
Stout said it was good to see what Lee, who pitched in the opening round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series last year, could do late in the game.
“We know he’s got it in him,” Stout said. “We know he’s got the pedigree to pitch in big situations, and we finally got a moment where we could get him in. He’s going to have more moments, because he pitched well.”
UAPB’s hitters chased SFA starter Nate Vidlak after three innings. He allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
UAPB left fielder Zyon Hamilton hit an RBI single in the second and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third. Third baseman Ian Smith hit an RBI sacrifice fly earlier in the third. UAPB led 3-2 until Smith’s two-out error in the top of the fifth allowed SFA to tie the game.
The SFA bullpen held UAPB scoreless for five innings until the Golden Lions plated 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth. Five of the hitters who came to the plate in the inning were substituted into the game in the seventh after the game had gotten out of hand. Trinidad De La Garza was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Augusto Schroeder hit an RBI fielder’s choice.
Brennan Greer (1-0) had the longest relief outing for SFA, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Hamilton and substitute Joe Adams each hit 2 for 2 for UAPB.
This was the second four-game split for UAPB to start the season after the Golden Lions went 2-2 at home last weekend against Lindenwood. UAPB had a chance to win this series after winning the first two games, but the Lumberjacks took the final two games after entering the weekend 5-0.