NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Putting the tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth, Lamar University (15-35) came close Friday in an eventual 5-3 loss at Stephen F. Austin. Tanner Driskill pitched his second career complete game.
 
SFA jumped on Lamar early, scoring one run in the first. With one out and a 1-2 count, the Jacks' Jake Georgiades was ruled to have checked his swing, and on the next pitch he homered to left. Driskill rebounded by striking out the next batter and forcing a 6-3 groundout to end the inning, but after one SFA led 1-0.
 
Robin Adames got the first of his three hits in the top of the second, leading off with a double to left. He reached third on a deep fly from Cole Coker but was stranded on a strikeout and a popup. The Jacks pushed two across in the bottom of the second on a lead-off walk, a sac bunt, a two-out double, and a two-out single. Chad McKinney threw out a runner trying to steal second for the 22nd time this year to end the inning, but SFA led 3-0 after two.
 
Lamar started to fight back in the top of the third. With two outs Avery George stepped up big with his first career triple down the right field line, and a single from Cole Girouard scored George. The Lumberjacks reciprocated from an inning earlier by catching Girouard stealing second. Driskill sat them down in order in the bottom of the inning, and after three SFA led 3-1.
 
Neither team scored in the fourth after Adames was picked off in the top of the inning and the Cards turned a 5-4-3 double play in the bottom of the inning, but SFA scored some insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. A lead-off walk reached second on a single, and a double to right scored one Jack. A sac fly with one out scored the second to give SFA a 5-1 lead through five.
 
Lamar closed the gap to two runs again in the top of the seventh. Adames led off the inning with his third hit of the night, a single through the right side, and reached third when Coker singled to center field and both advanced on an error. A sac fly from Logan LeJeune scored Adames and a passed ball put Coker across. Driskill got his fourth strikeout of the night in the bottom of the seventh to strand a runner, and through seven SFA led 5-3.
 
Neither team scored in the eighth as Driskill earned his fifth strikeout of the evening, and though Lamar brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, SFA escaped with a 5-3 win.
 
Noah Sills takes the mound for Lamar in Game 2 of the series scheduled for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday.