Box Score

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist scored two runs in the ninth, but couldn't get the tying run across the plate as the Huskies fell to Texas Southern, 5-4, Wednesday afternoon at MacGregor Park.
 
Gonzalez went 1-for-4 with the home run to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, while Bartlett also went 1-for-4 with a home run for HBU (12-16). Freshman third baseman Josh Martinez went 2-for-4 and drove in a run, while freshman pitcher/designated hitter Curtis Jones doubled and scored a run.
 
Tyler Flanagan went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run for the Tigers (18-16), while Ray Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Chris DeLeon went 2-for-2 with a run scored, and Anthony Dilligard homered and drove in a pair.
 
Jones (2-4) took the loss for HBU, allowing three runs, on eight hits in 5.2 innings. Sophomore Kobie Hajdik allowed two runs, one earned on two hits in 2.1 innings. Abel Flores (2-3) picked up the win for Texas Southern, tossing two perfect innings and striking out four, while Robert Pearson earned his first save of the season, allowing just a walk as he closed the door on a Huskies rally in the ninth.
 
With two outs in the top of the second, Gonzalez ripped a home run to left, his third of the season, then Bartlett followed with a titanic blast, his first of the year, to right to stake the Huskies to a 2-0 lead. After Martinez followed with a single, HBU would be held to just one more hit over the next six innings.
 
Deleon singled for Texas Southern with one out in the bottom of the fifth, then went to second on a hit-and-run groundout. Javier Valdez got the Tigers on the board with an RBI single to right.
 
Flanagan drew a leadoff walk in the sixth, then Dilligard gave the Tigers the lead with a two-run home run to left. Hernandez smashed a one-out double down the leftfield line in the seventh, then Lacy Jackson drew a walk. Flanagan singled to left, but Bartlett misplayed the hop, allowing both runners to score and extend Texas Southern's lead to 5-2.
 
Sophomore first baseman Bradley Brown reached on an error to lead off the top of the ninth for the Huskies, then was lifted for senior Corey Hail. Jones ripped a doubled to leftcenter, but the ball skipped away from the leftfielder, allowing Hail to score, and a throwing error by the shortstop moved Jones to third. Gonzalez struck out, Bartlett walked, and Martinez was able to beat out potential double play grounder to drive in the runner from third to cut the Tigers' lead to 5-4 with two outs. Sophomore second baseman Tanner Kalina hit a chopper up the middle, but Texas Southern retired Martinez at second to end the game.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host NJIT in a four-game Great West Conference series Friday through Sunday at Husky Field. The opener begins Friday at 2 p.m., followed by a noon doubleheader Saturday. The baseball team will hold a fish fry fundraiser during the games, with each plate available for $5. The series concludes with a single game Sunday at 2 p.m.