Box Score

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist sophomore righthander Ross Kennell tossed seven solid innings and a four-run fourth was all the Huskies needed to slip past Prairie View A&M, 4-3, Tuesday afternoon at Husky Field.
 
Kennell (1-0) earned his first win of the season, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out two and walking four for the Huskies (2-2). Senior Jake Gonzalez, who started the game in centerfield, did not allow a hit while shutting the Panthers out over the final two innings, striking out one and walking one, for his first save of the year.
 
Senior second baseman Josh Foust, senior leftfielder Luke Clements, sophomore designated hitter Josh Martinez and junior catcher Jordan Hebert each recorded singles for the Huskies' only hits on the day. Foust, Clements and Hebert each drove in a run.
 
Theodore Ater (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits and walking two in four innings for the Panthers (3-2). Stephen Lunsford held HBU hitless and scoreless over the final four innings, striking out two and walking one.
 
Walter Wells went 2-for-5 and scored a run, while Jeff Sealy doubled and scored a run for Prairie View A&M. Dominque Harris and Greg Salcido also had RBIs for the Panthers.
 
HBU had an opportunity to take the lead in the first when Foust led off with a walk and went all the way to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Junior rightfielder Jordan McCoy was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with one out, but Gonzalez lined into a double play at short as McCoy was nailed at first.
 
Prairie View A&M broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth as Brett Valley led off with a single, Brad Benes walked and Harris laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Salcido lifted an RBI bloop single to rightcenter, just out of the reach of a diving Gonzalez, then Sealy doubled down the leftfield line to put the Panthers ahead, 2-0.
 
HBU answered back in the bottom of the inning, when McCoy walked and junior first baseman Mike Chamberlain and sophomore third baseman Curtis Jones were hit by a pitches to load the bases with one out. McCoy scored on a wild pitch, then Chamberlain tied the game on Clements' RBI single to right. Martinez laid down a bunt single to reload the bases, then Hebert gave the Huskies the lead with a sacrifice fly to left and Foust followed with an RBI single to left to put HBU up, 4-2.
 
Wells singled, the Valley and Benes walked to load the bases with one out in the top of the fifth, but a sacrifice fly from Harris was all the Panthers could muster to cut their deficit to 4-3.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host Bryant in a three game series Friday through Sunday at Husky Field. Friday and Saturday's games will start at 2 p.m., while Sunday's finale will begin at 12:30 p.m.