Photo GalleryHOUSTON – HBU came back from a four-run deficit in the second game to claim a 10-5 victory over Sam Houston State, after rallying back from a six-run deficit in the first game, only to fall short, 12-11 in 10 innings, in a Southland Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Husky Field. The Huskies claimed the series two games to one and have clinched a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament May 20-23 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.
In the second game, junior leftfielder
Brandon Morones went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, going 6-for-9 with five RBIs in the doubleheader for the Huskies (24-25, 14-13 SLC). Senior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, and two RBIs, junior second baseman
Greg Espinosa was 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored twice, while senior pitcher
Curtis Jones doubled and scored a pair. Senior catcher
Samm Wiggins and junior first baseman
Andrew Alvarez tripled and drove in two.
Jones (5-6) earned the win, allowing five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings, then senior righthander
Ross Kennell held the Bearkats (27-25, 16-11) scoreless over the final two and one-third innings.
Hayden Simerly was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for SHSU, while Collin Yelich was 2-for-2.
Sam Odom (4-5) took the loss for the Bearkats, giving up 10 runs on nine hits in one and one-third innings. Jordan Church, Greg Belton and Ryan Brinley held the Huskies scoreless for the final six and two-thirds innings.
The Bearkats jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first as Bryce Johnson led off with a triple, Colt Atwood walked, then Spence Rahm doubled in the first run. Simerly followed with a two-run double and laters scored when Zach Smith grounded into a double play.
The Huskies answered back with seven run in the bottom half of the inning. Nehrir was hit by a pitch, junior shortstop
Louie Payetta singled, then Jones walked to load the bases. Wiggins drew a walk to plate a run, then Espinosa singled up the middle. Alvarez lifted a sacrifice fly, then Morones singled to left to tie the game, 4-4. Junior third baseman
Justin Monsour laid down a bunt and beat it out for a single and an RBI to give HBU the lead, then Nehrir delivered a two-run double to left center to put the Huskies up, 7-4.
HBU added three more in the second as Jones led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Wiggins. Espinosa singled, Alvarez drove him in with a triple off the wall in center, then scored on another single by Morones.
The Huskies continued to lead 10-4 into the seventh, when the Bearkats got an RBI single from Simerly for the game's final tally.
In the first game, Jones was 4-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a pair of runs, while Morones was 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Huskies. Espinosa went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs, Alvarez was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs, and Wiggins doubled, drove in a run and scored one.
Jake MacWilliam was 4-for-6 with a double, three RBIs and three runs, while Smith was 4-for-5 with four RBIs for SHSU. Rahm went 3-for-6 with a double, three RBIs and a pair of runs, Johnson was 2-for-6 with a pair of runs, and Brinley was 2-for-6 with a double and a run. Miles Manning was 4-for-5 and Atwood scored twice.
Alex Bisacca (6-2) picked up the win for the Bearkats, despite giving up eight runs, five earned, on nine hits in four innings. SHSU starter Logan Boyd allowed three runs on six hits in six innings.
Junior
Dylan Zarosky (0-2) took the loss for HBU, allowing one run in one inning. Huskies starter junior lefthander
Matthew McCollough, gave up six runs, two earned, on 10 hits, while tying his career high with 10 strikeouts in six and one-third innings.
SHSU scored four runs in the third inning. Brinley led off with a double, but was thrown out at third on a grounder back to McCollough. Atwood reached on an error, then an infield single by Rahm brought home the first run. MacWilliam doubled in a run, then Smith's two-run single put the Bearkats ahead, 4-0.
HBU got on the board in the fourth as Jones led off with a single and scored on a double by junior designated hitter
Austin Saenz.
The Bearkats seemed to put the game away with three in the top of the seventh on an RBI bunt single by MacWilliam and an error on the play that allowed another run to come home. Smith singled to put SHSU up, 7-1.
The Huskies answered with six runs in the bottom half of the inning, when Saenz was hit by a pitch to lead off and Espinosa singled. Alvarez and Morones came through with back-to-back RBI singles. Jones drove in a run by reaching on a fielder's choice, the Wiggins drove in the tying run.
SHSU came back with four in the eighth on a two-run double by Rahm and RBI singles by MacWilliams and Manning to lead 11-7.
HBU picked up a run in the eighth when Alvarez tripled and scored on a Morones single, then rallied for three runs in the ninth to tie the game, 11-11. Jones singled, then Wiggins doubled to left. Espinosa smacked a two-run single to left, Alvarez was hit by a pitch, then Morones singled to tie it up.
In the 10
th, Travis Lee led off with a single and scored on Smith's single up the middle.
The Huskies return to action on the road in their final Southland Conference series of the season Thursday through Saturday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Chapman Field in Corpus Christi. HBU will return home and make the short drive south to Sugar Land for the conference tournament.
