HOUSTON – Stephen F. Austin got a strong outing on the mound from Kyle Cross to hold off HBU, 4-3, in the Southland Conference and regular season finale Saturday afternoon at Husky Field.
 
Junior centerfielder Zach Nehrir went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs, and a run, while junior second baseman Josh Martinez went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Huskies (23-28, 12-18 SLC).
 
Gevon Jackson was 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs, and Nick Ramos drove in a run and scored one for the Lumberjacks (20-35, 11-19).
 
Cross (1-6) earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in 7.1 innings, then Fabian Arcizo retired the final five batters in order for his first save of the year.
 
Senior Ryan Lower (6-4) took the loss for HBU, giving up four runs, only two earned, on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. Senior Kobie Hajdik shut out SFA in the ninth in his final appearance at HBU.
 
SFA got on the board in the third when Ramos drew a one-out walk, went to second on a groundout, and scored on an RBI single by Rick Cruz. The Lumberjacks added a run in the fourth, when Mackenzie Handel reached on an error to lead off the inning, then scored on an RBI single by Ramos. SFA took a 3-0 lead in the fifth, when Zach Marberry walkd, Brett Thornell singled to leftcenter, and Jackson came through with an RBI single.
 
HBU answered in the bottom of the fifth, as senior leftfielder Jordan McCoy, Martinez, and Nehrir led off with consecutive singles for the Huskies' first run. Senior first baseman Mike Chamberlain moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt, but HBU was unable to capitalize further.
 
The Lumberjacks got the run back in the seventh when Thornell reached on an error and later scored on an infield single off Lower's leg to make the score 4-1.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Martinez led off with a single, then Nehrir ripped a triple into the game in rightcenter. Chamberlain's groundout to second scored Nehrir and cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
In addition to Lower, Hadjik, McCoy, Chamberlain, first baseman Bradley Brown, shortstop CJ Jarvis and catcher Jordan Hebert all saw action in their final game in a Huskies uniform.