EDINBURG, Texas – HBU junior leftfielder
Christian Thames blasted a pair of two-run home runs and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to lift the Huskies to a 9-5 victory over Washington State in the Al Ogletree Classic Sunday afternoon at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
Thames went 2-for-4, hit his first two home runs as a Husky, walked, drove in four and scored twice. Senior designated hitter
Austin Saenz went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and scored two, while junior centerfielder
Joe Van Marter tripled, drove in a pair of runs and scored once for HBU (5-3). Senior second baseman
Greg Espinosa went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while senior first baseman
Andrew Alvarez singled in his final at-bat to extend his hitting streak to eight games and he has now reached safely in 18 straight dating back to last season.
Senior righthander
Matt Harding (1-0) earned the win, shutting out WSU (3-5) on three hits and a walk in two innings of relief. Junior starter
Julian Griego allowed two runs on seven hits in four innings, while
Zach Carter, Thames and
Dylan Zarosky each pitched a scoreless inning.
Patrick McGrath went 2-for-5 with a home run, an RBI and a pair of runs for the Cougars, while Trek Stemp went 2-for-3 with a run. Jack Strunc and Dugan Shirer also added a pair of hits each.
Colby Nealy (0-1) took the loss for WSU, giving up three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Starter Ryan Ward allowed one runs on three hits and walked three. The Cougars used seven pitchers for the game.
Stemp led off the game with a single, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches, then scored on Derek Chapman's infield single. HBU answered in the bottom of the second as Saenz reached on an infield single, then Thames and junior catcher
Jacob Martinez walked to load the bases. Van Marter lifted a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game.
The Cougars regained the lead on McGrath's solo homer to left in the top of the third. In the bottom of the fourth, Martinez doubled down the rightfield line, then scored on Van Marter's triple off the wall in left. Espinosa grounded out to plate Van Marter and give the Huskies their first lead of the game, 3-2.
WSU scored three unearned runs in the fifth as senior shortstop
Louie Payetta made a pair of errors. Wes Leow drove in one, while the other scored on an error, then Ty Johnson added an RBI single to put the Cougars back on top, 5-3.
Saenz walked to lead off the fifth, then Thames ripped his first two-run shot to left to tie the game. Senior third baseman
Justin Monsour followed with a double, went to third on Martinez's groundout, then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Espinosa reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Payetta.
Alvarez led off the eighth with a single that hopped over the first baseman into right, then Thames blasted another two-run shot over the leftfield wall to put the Huskies ahead, 9-5.
The Huskies return to action when they travel to face No. 4 Texas A&M Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at Blue Bell Park in College Station. The game will be televised on SEC Network+ and the Legacy Sports Network broadcast with
Russ Reneau will begin at 6:20 on HBUHuskies.com and LSN.
