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HUNTSVILLE, Texas – HBU's hopes of returning to Sugar Land to defend its Southland Conference Tournament championship came crashing down as Sam Houston State swept the Huskies, 6-3 and 2-1, in a doubleheader Saturday at Don Sanders Stadium.
 
The Huskies lost the second game, 2-1, with SHSU breaking a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning.
 
Senior shortstop Louie Payetta doubled and scored the Huskies' (24-28, 12-17 SLC) lone run, while senior first baseman Andrew Alvarez drove him in. Junior lefthander Christian Thames (3-6) tossed his third complete game of the season, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with five strikeouts and a walk in eight innings.
 
Bryce Johnson singled and scored for the Bearkats (36-19, 23-6), while Zach Smith drove him in. Jordan Cannon (1-0) got the win in relief of Riley Gossett, who took a no-decision, allowing an unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 7.2 innings. Greg Belton earned his second save of the day and his 12^th of the season by striking out the side in the ninth.
 
The Bearkats scored in the first when Johnson led off with an infield single and scored on a two-out single by Smith. Thames would hold SHSU scoreless over the next seven innings.
 
The Huskies finally answered in the sixth when Payetta doubled, then scored on a groundout by Alvarez.
 
In the eighth, Spence Rahm led off with a double into the rightfield corner. Taylor Beene laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Thames' throw to first went down the rightfield line, allowing pinch runner Jaxxon Grisham to score what proved to be the game-winner.
 
In the first game, junior centerfielder Zane Otten went 3-for-4, while junior rightfielder Brandon Brintz went 2-for-4 and scored all three of the Huskies' runs. Senior leftfielder Brandon Morones went 2-for-4 and drove in a run.
 
Redshirt freshman Zach Carter (2-4) took the loss for HBU, allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and five walks in six innings, while senior righthander Matt Harding struck out a pair in two shutout innings.
 
Johnson went 2-for-4 and drove in a run for SHSU, while Andrew Fregia homered and drove in a pair.
 
Miles Manning (5-3) got the win out of the bullpen in relief of Heath Donica, who allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 5.2 innings. Belton allowed a run on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 2.2 innings for the save.
 
HBU scored the first run of the game, but SHSU took its first lead with a pair in the fifth. After the Huskies tied the game, 2-2, on an RBI single by junior catcher Blake Thomas, Fregia provided the difference in the game with a two-run homer to left as part of a three-run sixth.
 
The Huskies will wrap up the season with a 1 p.m. first pitch Saturday. The Legacy Sports Network audio broadcast with Russ Reneau begins at 12:45 with the pregame show and can be accessed on HBUHuskies.com.