March 10, 2007
Box Score
The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team were unable to recover from an early setback as it dropped its second-straight game of a three-game series against Stephen F. Austin University by a score of 7-4 in Nacogdoches, TX, at Jaycees Field on Saturday (Mar. 10).
UTPA drops to 9-15 on the season, despite out-hitting its opponents by a margin of 13-8 while failing to record a single error in the ball game. The Lumberjacks improved to 9-10 on the season.
Bronc freshman pitcher Bryce Smolen (Houston, TX/Lamar H.S.) gave up a three-run home run in the bottom of the second to Kevin Croft that put UTPA down by a score of 3-0 early in the contest. The game winning blast was Croft's second home run of the season and his second off a Bronc pitcher.
The Broncs answered by putting a run of their own on the board in the top of the third inning on a Patrick Brooks (Vallejo, CA/Santa Rosa J.C.) RBI single to left field that scored Roly Gonzalez (Miami, FL/UNC-Greensboro) from third base to put the score at 3-1. The Broncs notched four hits in the inning, but were only able to produce one run, leaving a pair of runners on base.
After the Lumberjacks put up another run in the bottom of the fourth inning, The Broncs came out in the top of the fifth to score two runs. The pair of runs came on Brooks' third home run of the season which closed the SFA lead to 4-3. The tying run and go-ahead run stayed stranded on base as Dominic Tognietti (Katy, TX/James E. Taylor H.S.) was tagged out at third base unassisted.
SFA increased their lead by a 6-3 margin in the bottom of the fifth frame when the Lumberjacks produced two runs on two hits. A Chris Smith single through the left side drove in Jared Pitts and Steven Hill. After the play at the plate Smith attempted to take second base, but was thrown out to end the inning.
When Kevin Thomas took over for Lance Leutge in the top of the sixth innings, the Broncs were able to capitalize on the pitching change by scoring a run, but still left a pair of runners stranded on base after Heach Konesheck came in to record the trio of outs.
The Lumberjacks were able to score an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, and in the last at-bat the Broncs left two runners on base before SFA was able to get out of the inning.
Leutge (4-1) earned the win for his five inning outing in which he gave up 10 hits, and three runs while striking out two Bronc batters and walking one. Konesheck picked up his second save of the season for closing out the final four inning of play, allowing just three hits from the 18 batters faced.
UTPA's Smolen gets the loss for his five innings on the mound, giving up seven hits which the Lumberjacks were able to convert into six runs. In relief, newcomer Matt Shepherd (Austin, TX/Howard J.C.) was able to slow down SFA, pitching three innings and allowing just one hit while striking out five of the 11 batters he squared off against.
The Broncs were led by Brooks and Tognietti at the plate. Brooks went 3-for-5 in the batter's box, including a two-run homer which is his third of the season to go along with three RBI. Freshman Tognietti continued his hot streak, recording three hits in five appearances at the plate.
The Broncs take-on the Lumberjacks one more time on Sunday (Mar. 11) which is the final game of the three-game series between the squads with the first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. at Jaycees Field in Nacogdoches, TX.
UTPA Sports Information
