After an impressive 12-11, come-from-behind victory on Saturday, Coach Harrington and the Bobcats found themselves in first place atop the Southland Conference baseball standings by two games over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, despite a 7-6 loss on Sunday. The 'Cats were gearing up for a potential sweep going into Sunday's game with an undefeated Colton Turner taking the mound at 5-0. That being said, the 'Jax came out swinging Sunday afternoon, and with the help of a few costly errors and the premature ejection of junior third baseman Kyle Kubitza, the SFA Lumberjacks edged the Bobcats 7-6 to avoid the series sweep.
Stephen F. Austin star Bryson Myles continued to swing a hot bat for the 'Jax as he lead off Sunday's game with a solo blast over the net in left field on an 0-1 fastball offering from Colton Turner. SFA also collected three more hits in the top of the first, and added a run to notch an early 2-0 lead. Turner would immediately settle down after the initial first inning blues by coming hard inside on righties with his 2-seam fastball, as he sat down nine of the next eleven batters for the Lumberjacks.
After three flawless innings from SFA starter Zach Taylor, Andrew Stumph finally got the Bobcats on the board and cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two out single up the middle, allowing Ory Kalenkosky to score. An inning later, Kubitza came up with two runners on and two outs to line one off of the right-centerfield wall; as the runners Tyler Sibley and Bret Atwood came around to score, tying the game at three, Kubitza slid head first into third with a triple only to see the ball scoot away from the 'Jax third baseman Bryce Cummings. Kubitza then headed home and greeted SFA catcher Jarid Scarafiottii with a hook slide, but to no avail as home plate umpire David Wellman not only called Kubitza out on the play, but in turn immediately tossed the junior out of the game without any hesitation and the game remained a 3-3 tie.
After the Lumberjacks scored two more of their own in the top of the sixth, Stumph continued to swing a hot stick and tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run homerun to left field that in turn chased SFA starter Zach Taylor out of the ballgame. With that, a few costly Bobcat errors and a relentless offense from the Lumberjacks the next inning put the 'Jax up 7-5, and that was all of the room that Jason West and the Purple and Black needed. West tossed the final three innings of the ballgame, and in doing so notched his fifth save. Bobcat senior right hander Fielding Pittman was credited with the loss, and Colton Turner got the no-decision to remain undefeated.
The loss still ensures the top spot in the Southland Conference with a record of 10-2 (19-8 overall) and with the series win, the Bobcats still have not lost a weekend series all year. The Bobats have dropped down in the RPI ratings from last week (No. 11) but are still in the Top 20 (No. 20).
The next four games for the 'Cats will be on the road in the state of Arkansas, as they take on University of Arkansas Wednesday night, and then head to Conway to take on Central Arkansas for a three game series. Also, stay tuned to the rest of the baseball season as Coach Ty Harrington is creeping up to career win number 400, needing only 6 more wins to reach the milestone.
Weston Warner, KTSW Sports
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