NACOGDOCHES, Texas – HBU erupted for nine runs in the eighth inning to go on to a 13-3 victory in game one, then rode the arm of senior righthander
Curtis Jones to a 7-2 win in the nightcap to sweep Stephen F. Austin in a Southland Conference doubleheader Friday at Jaycees Field.
In the first game, junior shortstop
Louie Payetta went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, drove in three and scored twice, while Jones, playing third base, went 3-for-6 with and RBI and a pair of runs for the Huskies (18-15, 9-5 SLC). Senior catcher
Samm Wiggins was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and scored three times, while junior second baseman
Greg Espinosa was 2-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs. Junior leftfielder
Brandon Morones added a pair of hits, an RBI and a run.
Senior lefthander
Brandon Hammerly (2-2) earned the win for HBU, throwing four innings of shutout relief, allowing two hits and striking out a pair. Starter
Matthew McCollough allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings.
Kyle Thornell was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a run for the Lumberjacks (12-21, 6-9) in the first game.
Josh Keith (1-2) took the loss, giving up five runs on four hits and walking two in two-thirds of an inning of relief as the SFA bullpen allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in the final two innings. Starter Cameron Gann allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with five strikeouts in seven innings.
SFA jumped out to the early lead getting back-to-back double from Nick Ramos and Thornell in the bottom of the first. HBU tied it in the fourth as Payetta doubled down the rightfield line, but was thrown out at third on a grounder by Jones. Wiggins followed with a single and Jones scored when the throw back to the infield got away.
The Lumberjacks quickly regained the lead when Thornell led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to right and added another in the fifth when Tyler Boxwell led off with a single and scored on a single by Hunter Wilson to take a 3-1 advantage.
Payetta walked to lead off the fifth and Wiggins doubled down the leftfield line. Espinosa delivered a two-out double down the rightfield line to tie the game, 3-3.
Jones singled to lead off the eighth, Wiggins walked and pinch hitter
Clayton Vaughn reached on a bunt single to load the bases. The Huskies scored on two-straight squeeze plays, then a wild pitch. Senior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir singled in a run, then Payetta unloaded a three-run shot to right to put the Huskies ahead 10-3. Jones singled again, then Wiggins doubled, before Espinosa drilled another two-run double to left to cap a nine-run rally for HBU. The Huskies tacked on another in the ninth as
Carey Jones scored on his brother Curtis's infield single to make the score 13-3.
In the second game, Payetta went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while Jones went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Wiggins was 2-for-4 with a double and a run, Espinosa was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and junior first baseman
Andrew Alvarez was 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, an RBI and a run.
Jones (3-4) earned the win, allowing two runs on nine hits, while striking out four with no walks in seven and two-thirds innings. Junior
Dylan Zarosky finished off the final inning and a third, striking out a pair.
Conner Fikes was 2-for-4 with a run, while Boxwell and Eric DeJesus drove in the Lumberjacks' runs.
Dillon Mangam (2-6) took the loss for SFA, giving up five runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts and three walks in seven innings.
The Huskies took the early lead as Payetta and Jones had back-to-back singles, then Wiggins walked to load the bases. Espinosa beat out a potential double play, allowing Payetta to score.
HBU added three more in the second, as Alvarez led off with a solo home run to center, his first as a Husky. Senior rightfielder
Thomas Clay tripled down the rightfield line and scored on a single by Nehrir. After Nehrir stole second, Jones drove him in with a single to right to make the score 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, SFA got four-straight two-out singles from Garrett McMullen, Fikes, Boxwell and DeJesus to cut HBU's lead to 4-2.
Wiggins led off the fifth with a double to left, then Espinosa came through with an RBI single as the Huskies got one of the runs back.
In the eighth, junior third baseman
Justin Monsour led off with a single, Clay moved him up with a sacrifice bunt, then Nehrir drove in a run with a single. Nehrir later scored on a wild pitch for the final tally in a 7-2 victory.
The series concludes with a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday. The audio broadcast is available on HBUHuskies.com presented by the Legacy Sports Network, beginning with the pregame show at 1:45.
