Feb. 14, 2015 Box Score
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Missouri State used an early offensive onslaught and some solid mound work from Matt Hall and Sam Perez to post a 5-4 victory over Stephen F. Austin Saturday evening at the SFA Tipton Ford Classic. With the win, the Bears improved to 2-0 for the third consecutive season.
Hall (1-0) matched a career high with nine strikeouts over his 7.0 innings of work, holding the Lumberjacks to three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks to earn the victory. The junior left-hander received a lift from Perez, who retired all three SFA batters he faced in the eighth, then worked out of a tight spot in the ninth after the hosts cut the lead in half and put the potential tying run in scoring position with one out. Perez, who fanned two Lumberjacks in his 2.0 innings, fanned pinch hitter Eric DeJesus for the second out of the inning and induced a game-clinching pop up to first off the bat of Tyler Boxwell to wrap up the win and his third career save.
Missouri State appeared poised to break the game wide open in the middle innings, seizing a 5-2 advantage in the fourth after SFA erased an early 2-0 lead. But the Lumberjacks relief corps kept it interesting by permitting just two MSU hits after the fourth inning.
After SFA starter Dillon Mangham (0-1) promptly dispatched the first five MSU hitters of the game with little difficulty, the Bears mounted a two-out rally in the second to take an early 2-0 advantage. Spencer Johnson's chopper back to the mound eluded Mangham for an infield single, giving Cheray the chance to blast the lefty's full-count offering over the wall in right-center field for a two-run homer.
The Lumberjacks wasted little time in responding, as a one-out walk and a Dan O'Neill double in the home half of the second set up Tyler Boxwell's two-out single to left that pulled SFA even at 2-2.
MSU would break the deadlock two innings later, taking advantage of three walks and Cheray's second hit of the evening to score three runs. Justin Paulsen's leadoff walk got the ball rolling before Cheray laced a one-out single through the right side and Jake Burger drew a free pass to load the bases. Dylan Becker's one-hopper to first allowed Paulsen to cross the plate, and a wild pitch brought home Cheray to make it a 4-2 game. After another walk, Joey Hawkins plated a third run with a laser-shot to second that was ruled an error, but nevertheless gave the Bears a three-run cushion.
SFA scratched out a run in the fifth, thanks in large part to a two-base throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt at first. Matthew Dickey drew a one-out walk, raced all the way to third on Eduardo Castro's errant throw then scored on a Nick Ramos bouncer to second to pull the Jacks to within two runs.
The SFA bullpen turned in a strong joint effort to keep the game close, as five different relievers combined to hold the Bears scoreless over the final five innings.
Cheray (2-for-3, walk) powered the MSU attack, scoring twice and driving in two more runs in four trips to the plate.
Missouri State wraps up its stay in Nacogdoches with a noon game Sunday against Washington State.
