SUGAR LAND, TX – HCU kicked off the 2023 Sugar Land Classic falling 21-14 in a 15-inning shootout Friday night at Constellation Field against former Southland Conference opponent, Stephen F. Austin.
 
Freshman catcher Dylan LaRue went 3-for-7 with three runs, a walk, and a stolen base for the Huskies (0-4). Junior pinch hitter/rightfielder William Jewell went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs, a run, and a walk while freshman second baseman Cash Benavidez also went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a run, and a walk. Junior pinch hitter Parker Edwards went 1-for-1 with a two RBI homerun.
 
Junior righthander Jarek Wells (0-1) took the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, on four hits with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings for HCU. Senior righthander Trey Valka and junior righthander Brock Shoffner combined for a shutout inning in relief allowing one walk and recording one strikeout.

HCU scored a run in the bottom of the second inning when Tyler LaRue hit a solo homerun to right field. The Huskies added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Cash Benavidez singled through the left side scoring Dylan LaRue. HCU scored again in the bottom of the sixth inning when Austin Roccaforte recorded an RBI, walk, scoring Dylan LaRue before Samuel Benjamin scored on a wild pitch to add a run for the Huskies in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Huskies scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a two RBI single up the middle by William Jewell scoring Trent Baker and Connor Fremin before Samuel Benjamin singled to center field scoring Jewell.

HCU scored the first run in extra innings in the bottom of the 10^th inning when Jewell double down the right field line scoring Benavidez. The Huskies added two more runs in the bottom of the 11^th inning thanks to a two RBI homerun from Parker Edwards. HCU tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the 13^th inning after Cash McNicholas doubled to right center scoring Reed Chumley, Dylan LaRue and McNicholas scored on an error by the SFA third baseman. The Huskies scored their last run on a Benjamin single to right center scoring Roccaforte in the bottom of the 14^th inning.

Clayton Loranger went 5-for-8 with three RBIs, three runs, two stolen bases, and a walk for SFA (2-4). Peyton Parker went 3-for-7 with a double, four runs, two RBIs, and two walks. Reid Bowyer (1-0) earned the win in relief allowing four runs, one earned, on five hits, two strike outs, and a walk in four innings of work. Starting pitcher Joe Richter allowed two runs, two earned, on seven hits with five strikeouts, and two walks in five innings.
 
SFA scored a run in the bottom of the first when Tom Biggs tripled to left field scoring Peyton Parker. The Lumberjacks added three runs in the top of the sixth inning starting with a double down the leftfield line scoring Loranger before Parker scored on an error by the third baseman and Cole Hill singled up the middle scoring Cal Martin. SFA tacked on three more runs in the top of the eighth inning when Martin solo homered to left field, Sam Adams singled to right field scoring Scout Sanders, and Nolan Brown singled to left field scoring Adams. The Lumberjacks added one in the 10^th inning when Sanders singled to right field scoring Biggs before adding two runs in the top of the 11^th inning starting with a single through the left side by Alex Rodgers scoring Hunter Prescher and a hit-by-pitch from Martin scoring Brown.

SFA added three runs in the 13^th inning thanks to a three RBI double to left center by Cody Fleischer scoring Parker, Loranger, and Rodgers. The Lumberjacks closed out the game with a seven run, 15^th inning, starting with a Loranger single down the right field line scoring Rodgers followed by a Parker single through the left side scoring Loranger. Parker scored on an RBI groundout to the third baseman by Martin before Prescher was walked to score Biggs. Fleischer scored on a wild pitch before Loranger hit a two RBI single scoring Prescher and Sanders.

HCU will return to the Sugar Land Classic at Constellation field on Saturday, February 25^th, to take on Seton Hall (1-3) at 3 p.m.