By Gene Schallenberg Huntsville Item

Despite a solid outing from reliever Jordan Westra, the Sam Houston State baseball team was unable to hold on after erasing a big deficit for the second straight day.

Rallying to pull even with Stephen F. Austin in the sixth, the Bearkats saw the game get away from them as the Lumberjacks scored five runs in the final two innings and handed Sam Houston a 13-8 loss and a three-game sweep.

"It's hard to play that way. It's a lot harder to play from behind," SHSU head coach Mark Johnson said. "That's just the way we're playing right now. Hopefully we'll get out of this tailspin and right it and get going.

"The guys came out ready to play. Part of it is (Stephen F. Austin) was a better ballclub than we were. Give them credit, they're fighting for a championship and we're fighting to get into the tournament. It showed up today. They did some things better than we did."

Trailing by as many as six runs, the Bearkats, just like they did on Saturday, put together a big inning to make a game of it.

In the bottom of the fifth, Sam Houston (9-15 in Southland play, 17-28 overall) had a pair of RBI singles from right fielder Greg Olson and center fielder Mark Hudson.

First baseman Taylor Davis delivered the biggest blow of them all, blasting a towering three-run shot over the left-field wall, which pulled the Bearkats to within a run.

Sam Houston then tied the game at 8 in the sixth off second baseman Braeden Riley's bases-loaded hit to SFA shortstop Tanner Hines. Shortstop Ryan Mooney scored and Riley beat out the throw from second base, squashing the double-play attempt.

Westra, who came into the game to relieve Daniel Nottebart in the third inning, held Stephen F. Austin scoreless through four innings, which allowed Sam Houston to get back in the game. The senior pitcher held off a hot-hitting Lumberjacks squad, but finally ran into trouble in the eighth.

Catcher Jarid Scarafiotti struck out to lead off the inning, but a wild pitch allowed him to reach first safely. First baseman Bobby Loveless pushed the Lumberjacks ahead for good with a two-run homer over the right-center field wall.

"Westra gave us a chance to come back in the ball game. We did come back, but we just couldn't hold it," Johnson said.

The Lumberjacks (16-7, 30-12) pushed three more runs across and the Bearkats were unable to mount a last-ditch rally.

Sam Houston was forced to play from behind from the get-go as starter Paul Spinn and Nottebart struggled, allowing eight runs in the first three innings.

At one point in the first inning, Stephen F. Austin hit three run-scoring doubles in a row with two outs.

"We got ourselves behind immediately and it just seems to be a disease. I don't know how we can do that," Johnson added. "Just the percentages of the game, it shouldn't happen as much as it has."

After losing eight of the past nine conference games, the Bearkats are in danger of missing the Southland Conference tournament. Sam Houston is now two games behind Lamar and Nicholls, which are tied for seventh place.

The Bearkats return to action Tuesday as they host Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. in their final nonconference game of the season.