Box Score

Postgame Interview with Bradley Brown and Tyler Hoelscher (video)

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist sophomore first baseman Bradley Brown drilled a bases loaded double to left center to cap a three-run, ninth-inning rally and send the Huskies to a 4-3 walkoff victory over McNeese State Sunday afternoon at Husky Field.
 
Brown went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run for the Huskies (1-1), while senior catcher Asai Adame added a pair of singles. Senior shortstop Collin Hetzler walked three times and scored a run, while junior centerfielder Jake Gonzalez doubled and drove in a run, and freshman third baseman Josh Martinez also had an RBI for the Huskies.
 
Rightfielder Seth Granger went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run for McNeese State (1-1). Catcher Renny Weber went 2-for-5 with a double and run, while shortstop Tyler Klouser doubled and scored a run and first baseman Nick Eubanks doubled and drove in a run for the Cowboys.
 
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision, but HBU freshman Tyler Hoelscher was solid in his first collegiate outing, allowing three runs on 11 hits, striking out three and throwing 68 of his 98 pitches for strikes in 7.2 innings, while Trey Brown allowed just an unearned run on five hits, struck out two and walked four in 5.2 innings for McNeese State. Sophomore Kobie Hajdik (1-0) earned the victory for the Huskies, giving up only an intentional walk in 1.1 innings. Tyler Parke (0-1) took the loss for the Cowboys, surrendering three runs on four hits and walking two in 2.2 innings.
 
HBU trailed 3-1 in the ninth, when Hetzler drew a one-out, four-pitch walk and senior rightfielder Kolby Arnst was hit by a pitch. Gonzalez followed by ripping an RBI double to right, and designated hitter Judson Bartlett, who had delivered a pinch-hit single in the eighth, was intentionally walked. Brown fell behind 0-2 in the count before driving the next pitch into the gap for the win.
 
McNeese State got on the board with a run in the third. Klouser lifted a fly ball to right to lead off the inning, but Arnst lost it in the sun and Klouser advanced to second. Second baseman Andrew Guillotte dropped down a bunt single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Guillotte was caught stealing at second, and Hetzler's throw was high as Klouser slid across home for the first run of the game.
 
The score remained 1-0 until the sixth, when Brown reached on a two-out error. Second baseman Josh Foust followed with a single up the middle, then Martinez blooped a single to center, which plated Brown with the tying run.
 
Weber and Granger delivered back-to-back doubles to lead off the eighth to put the Cowboys back on top, and Eubanks' two-out RBI double to left gave McNeese State a 3-1 lead.
 
Bartlett singled to lead off the eighth and Brown was hit by a pitch. Foust failed to deliver a sacrifice bunt, grounding the attempt back to Parke and forcing Bartlett out at third. After Martinez flied out to shallow left, Adame drove a pitch to the gap in right center, which likely would've tied the game, but Granger made an outstanding diving catch to end the inning.
 
HBU left at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first eight innings, and left 11 runners on base for the game, while McNeese left eight runners on base. The two teams split the abbreviated season-opening series after the Cowboys won the opener, 8-7.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host UT-San Antonio Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Husky Field. The game will be broadcast live and live stats will be available on HBUHuskies.com.