SIUE Suffers Baseball Losses

 he Lumberjacks improved to 2-3 in winning a pitcher's duel. SIUE dropped to 3-1.

"We did not play good baseball," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "We were not very sharp in all facets of the game."

SFA opened the scoring in the third inning, plating a run on a wild pitch following a walk and a hit in the inning. SIUE evened the score in the fourth inning. Brady Bunten tripled with one out in the inning and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin Perkins.

The Lumberjacks capitalized on a pair of Cougar miscues in the seventh for the eventual game winner. Kanin Dodge scored after being hit by a pitch and advancing on a passed ball. Dodge moved to third on a groundout and then scored on a fielding error.

"We gave away too many free bases between walks and hit batters," Lyons said. "Hats off to SFA for being able to push two runs across."

Bunten was 2-4 to lead the Cougars. SIUE collected just four hits against SFA starter Angelo Gennari and three relievers. Gennari worked six innings, allowing the run. He did not figure into the decision.

"They got a good pitching performance from Gennari," Lyons added. "He settled in after the first two innings and did well against our guys."
Cougar hitters struck out 15 times in the game.

"We must continue to work to cut down on the strikeouts," Lyons commented.

SIUE starter Colin Baumgartner allowed a run in 4.2 innings. He allowed the run on a single hit. He walked five and struck out nine, one shy of his career best.

"Colin had five walks and that is uncharacteristic for him; he would tell you that," Lyons said.

Rob Parks added 1.1 innings of scoreless work. Ryan Swanson (0-1) took the loss, allowing the unearned run in the seventh. He did not allow a hit and struck out two.

"Rob Parks and Ryan Swanson did well out of the pen," Lyons said of his relievers. "They continued to give us the opportunity to stay in the game, but were unable to take advantage and push one across."

Dodge had the only hit for Stephen F. Austin, a single in the third inning.

UT Arlington 3, SIUE 2

UT Arlington scored a run in the bottom of the eighth snapping a 2-2 tie and held on the defeat SIUE baseball 3-2 Sunday at Stephen F. Austin.

The Cougars moved to 4-3 while UTA improved to 4-2.

"It was a good game all around," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said.

The Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in the first with back-to-back one-out home runs on consecutive pitches to Andrew Keefer and Andrew Miller.

"It was two pitches in the first inning that got us," Lyons said. "After that point David (Llorens) went on cruise control. He pitched extremely well."
The Cougars answered in the top of the eighth inning when Brady Bunten doubled and Tyler Bastunas singled to drive home the game-tying runs.
"Our approach was good," Lyons said. "We had a sense that we were going to get something going."

The Mavericks used a double, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Keefer drove home the winner for UTA. He finished the game 1 for 2 with two RBIs.

Ryan Swanson (0-2) allowed the run in an inning of work and took the loss. 

SIUE outhit UT Arlington 6-5. Josh Ohl was 2 for 4 to lead the Cougars. Aaron Goecks was 1 for 2 with a double and a run scored. 

"We saw some good things out the offense," Lyons said. "We aren't satisfied with going 1-3 this weekend. We feel like the opportunity was there to 2-2 or even 3-1 with a break here or there."

The Cougars will stay on the road when they travel to play a three-game series Fri.-Sun. at Central Arkansas.