LITTLE ROCK, AR – UALR baseball (10-14) hit another bump in the road on Tuesday night, taking an 8-0 loss to Stephen F. Austin (10-19) at Gary Hogan Field.
SFA built a quick lead in the top of the first, scoring three runs on three hits and three UALR errors. Matthew Dickey and Hunter Wilson began the frame with singles to give the Lumberjacks runners at first and second base. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and an error later in the frame allowed both to score. Kyle Thornell reached base on an error and came home later in the inning on a RBI single by Cameron Salvaggio to put the ‘Jacks up 3-0 after one inning of play.
Starter Reed Willenborg pitched 5.0 innings, striking out six and allowed three runs (none earned) on eight hits.
The ‘Jacks tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth. With Preston Oberling on in relief, SFA followed a pair of two-out walks with a triple to right field by Wilson. Wilson scored later in the frame on an infield single, pushing the ‘Jacks lead to 6-0.
SFA added two runs on three hits in the top of the ninth to bring the game to its 8-0 final score.
“I told the team that we cannot continue to live like this,” head coach Chris Curry said. “We can’t live on the razor’s edge where we get behind, and we think we’re going to battle back. That’s not the way you play the game.”
The UALR offense was quiet for the majority of the night, only getting six hits compared to Stephen F. Austin’s 15. Ryan Scott, Sam Vogel, Kyle Kirk, Mitchell Scheuler, Kyle Barret and Joseph Paulino accounted for each of UALR’s hits.
“We have to keep pushing,” Curry said. “Yes, we had a wonderful weekend, but that’s in the history books. If we want to be a championship level team, we cannot be this inconsistent during midweek games. We’re going to continue working, get better and push these guys to be as good as they can be.”
UALR will return to action in Atlanta on Friday as it takes on Sun Belt foe Georgia State in a three-game series.