Box Score
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Jordan Lenaburg hit a pinch-hit walk-off single to score the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and Stephen F. Austin rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 4-3, in the Southland Conference Tournament on Friday at Bobcat Ballpark.
No. 2-seeded Southeastern (38-20) will face sixth-seeded SFA (26-32) in an elimination game beginning at 1 p.m. with the winner to face UT Arlington (35-23) for the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals at 5 p.m. Both games will be available for viewers on ESPN3.com.
SFA, which rallied to eliminate host Texas State in a 9-7 contest earlier in the day, trailed 3-0 after three innings before holding the Lions scoreless the rest of the way. The Lumberjacks tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning when Bobby Loveless led off the inning with a triple off the center field wall before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Max Lamantia.
The Lumberjacks scored the winning run in the ninth inning after Freddy Villalobos led off with an infield single off Southeastern reliever
Jason Greenleaf (3-2) and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Michael Ruiz. After Bryce Cummings reached on an error by
Ben Hernandez, Lenaburg hit the first pitch from Lion reliever
Matt Pittari through the right side to drive in Villalobos from third.
Southeastern, which is looking for its first appearance in the Southland Conference Championship Game, took an early 2-0 lead as it capitalized on wildness by SFA starter Chase Greening, who hit a pair of batters and uncorked a wild pitch that allowed
Harry Slade to score.
Hernandez, who reached on a fielder's choice, would score one batter later when
Cody Gougler grounded out to shortstop.
Southeastern added to its lead in the third inning after Hernandez and
Brock Hebert led off the frame with singles before Hernandez was thrown out at third on an attempted sacrifice bunt by
Jonathan Pace. After Gougler lined out to left field for the second out,
Ladd Rhodes responded with a RBI single to score Hebert and give Southeastern a 3-0 lead.
That seemed to be enough for Southeastern starter
Josh Janway, who fanned five of the first 10 batters he faced before issuing one-out walks to Hunter Dozier and Loveless in the fourth inning.
One batter later, Lamantia recorded SFA's first hit of the game with an RBI single through the left side that scored Dozier and Jarid Scarafiotti followed with an RBI single to drive in Loveless and cut the Southeastern lead to 3-2.
Greenleaf took the loss for Southeastern after tossing 5.0 innings in relief and scattering five hits and fanning three. Janway allowed two hits and two runs in 3.1 innings of work while Hernandez led Southeastern at the plate going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Colton Eubanks (6-5) earned the win for SFA after tossing a scoreless inning in relief. Greening went 5.0 innings for the Lumberjacks before Cory Ochs pitched three scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Lamantia and Rene Moreda each went 2-for-3 for SFA, which collected eight hits in the contest.
Southeastern La..... 201 000 000 - 3 8 1 (38-20)
Stephen F. Austin... 000 201 001 - 4 8 1 (26-32)
Janway, Greenleaf (4), Pittari (9) and Fisher. Greening, Ochs (6), Eubanks (9) and Scarafiotti. W - Eubanks (6-5). L - Greenleaf (3-2). E - Hernandez (15), Dozier (13). LOB – SLU 10, SFA 7. 3B - Loveless (2). HBP - Slade, Pace. SH - Hernandez (22), Ruiz (7). SF - Lamantia (3). SB - Pace (5). T - 2:38. A – 994.
