Photo GalleryHOUSTON – Senior outfielder
Zach Nehrir delivered the first Southland Conference series sweep for the HBU baseball team in a two-out walk off single up the middle for a 2-1 edge of Central Arkansas on Sunday afternoon at Husky Field.
The Huskies (12-11, 4-2 SLC), who joined the SLC in the 2014 season, doubled-up UCA (11-7, 6-3 SLC) in runs and hits with the aid of Nehrir. The native of Orange, California, recorded the only multi-hit game between either team, posting a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Nehrir recorded two singles and reached on a walk to go along with his game-winning RBI.
Senior
Curtis Jones went toe-to-toe with Bear starter Connor Gilmore in the rubber match, both taking no-decisions. Jones tossed eight solid innings, scattering three hits and recording a season-high seven strikeouts, before being relieved in the ninth by senior
Chris Garza (1-0), who picked up his first win of the season.
The series finale proved a pitcher's duel out of the gate, as both starters had no-hitters through three innings.
In the fourth inning, Jones surrendered the first hit of the game, coming on a single up the middle with one out. However, Nehrir proved the equalizer, taking advantage of a ball lost in the sun for a leadoff double to right field in the bottom frame.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Jones walked on four pitches before senior
Samm Wiggins broke up the shutout and drove in the first run of the game with a double to left-center.
Following a hit by pitch to open the seventh inning, Jones retired his next six batters faced to hold the 1-0 advantage through eight innings.
Three consecutive errors in the top of the ninth allowed UCA to tie the game one-all. After Matt Anderson reached on a fielding error by second baseman
Greg Espinosa to open the frame, a throwing error by Jones on a sac bunt in the next at bat allowed him to advance to third. With runners at the corners and no outs, Garza took over on the mound for HBU. Two pitches later, the Bears again laid down a sac bunt and Garza's throw home was off target, allowing the run to score. UCA continued to threaten, as the team still had runners at the corners, but Hayden Steele lined out to junior
Andrew Alvarez on a failed bunt attempt and junior
Louie Payetta made a diving stop on a ball up the middle to turn two to escape the situation.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Espinosa walked and advanced to second on a pinch-hit single to center field from freshman
Zac Garcia. Then, a fielder's choice in the next at bat put runners at the corners, setting up Nehrir's walk off.
The Huskies will be back in action on Tuesday, March 24, playing at Prairie View A&M in a 2 p.m. first pitch.
