Box Score
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – After Sam Houston State rallied to tie the game with two runs in the ninth, Doug Oney led off the bottom of the 10th with a home run to left as the Bearkats clipped Houston Baptist, 5-4, in non-conference baseball Tuesday night at Don Sanders Stadium.
Junior designated hitter Robbie Buller went 3-for-5, blasted his seventh home run of the season, drove in a run and scored three for the Huskies (1-17). Junior shortstop Collin Hetzler went 2-for-5 with a run, while junior second baseman David Pfuntner went 2-for-6. Sophomore centerfielder Jake Gonzalez and junior rightfielder Kolby Arnst also drove in runs for HBU.
Ryan Mooney, Chris Andreas, Mark Hudson, Daniel Nottebart and Braeden Riley each collected two hits for the Bearkats (13-8). Nottebart doubled and drove in two runs, while Mooney and Riley also doubled.
Sam Houston State used five pitchers, and Michael Burchett earned the win by holding HBU scoreless over the final 3.1 innings. Junior Dalton Schafer (0-6) took the loss for the Huskies, allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings. Senior Stephen Nikonchik did not factor into the decision despite six solid innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.
The Huskies took the lead early as Hetzler and Buller singled to lead off the third, and Gonzalez followed with an RBI single up the middle. Arnst drove in Buller with a single to put HBU up, 2-0. Bulller made it a 3-0 game as he led off the fifth with a solo homer to left.
Nikonchik shut the Bearkats out on four hits through five innings, but Mooney smacked a one-out double to left center and Andreas walked. After Hudson flied out for the second out, Nottebart doubled down the rightfield line and Riley's infield single drove in a run to cut the Huskies' lead to 3-2.
HBU loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but were only able to score one run on a wild pitch and left the bases loaded.
Schafer shut down Sam Houston State in the seventh and eighth, but Greg Olson singled to right with one out, Mooney singled down the rightfield line to put runners on the corners. Andreas grounded into a fielder's choice to drive in a run to make it a one-run game with two outs. After Hudson singled to right to once again put runners on the corners, Nottebart tied the game with an RBI single up the middle. Kevin Miller was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Riley lined out to short to send the game to extra innings.
The Huskies return to action when they hit the road to face fourth-ranked Texas Wednesday at 6 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
