March 3, 2006

Box Score

NACOGDOCHES - Luke Cannon left the yard for the fourth straight game, but Texas State could not overcome a three-run Stephen F. Austin seventh inning in a 5-3 loss Friday afternoon in Nacogdoches.

Texas State (3-11, 0-1 SLC) jumped on top first when a Cannon ground-out to second base scored Jared Bunn from third, but SFA (4-11, 1-0 SLC) countered the Bobcat score with a run in its half of the first on a Scott Moore balk that evened the score at 1-1.

The Lumberjacks took the lead for good in the fifth when Kyle Freeman homered off of Moore to give the `Jacks a 2-1 lead.

SFA added another home run and three more trips across the plate in the seventh, when Steven Hill took Justin Fiske deep to give the Lumberjacks a 5-1 lead.

Cody Ross drew a lead-off pinch-hit walk to open the eighth inning for the Bobcats, and Cannon brought Texas State back within striking distance by hitting his fourth home run of the season.

Cannon lifted the full-count pitch over the outfield wall for his fourth home run in as many games.

SFA put the `Cats down in order in the ninth to close the game, handing the Bobcats their sixth straight loss and their first loss in Southland Conference play.

Cannon led the Bobcats at the plate, going 1-for-3 on the day with three RBIs and a run scored, while Bunn also finished the day 1-for-3 with a run scored.

For Cannon, it was the third-straight game in which the senior outfielder represented all of the Bobcats' RBIs on the day.

Moore (2-2) took the loss for the Bobcats, tossing six innings and giving up three runs on six hits, including one of the two Lumberjack home runs. Fiske pitched the other two Bobcat innings, handing out one hit and two runs, including the second SFA home run of the day.

Brian Steinocher got the win for the Lumberjacks, improving to 1-2 on the year.

Texas State and SFA will resume play in the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and the series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jaycees Field in Nacogdoches.