HOUSTON – HBU junior leftfielder
Spencer Halloran went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs as the Huskies pulled out a 6-3 victory over Southeastern Louisiana to sweep the three-game Southland Conference series Sunday afternoon at Husky Field.
Junior first baseman
Carey Jones went 2-for-3 with a double and an scored a run, while junior catcher
Jake Pulcheon, junior second baseman
Jack Fitzgerald and junior
Matt Heck each drove in a run for the Huskies (11-11, 3-3 SLC)). Senior centerfielder
Zane Otten was hit by a pitch and scored a run, but his nine-game hitting streak came to an end.
Sophomore righthander
Zach Carter (4-2) turned in a gutsy performance, throwing 105 pitches in only 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk to earn the win. Sophomore righthander
JT Newton notched his second save of the season with a brilliant 3.2 innings, shutting the Lions out on one hit with four strikeouts and a walk.
Taylor Schwaner went 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run for SLU (14-9, 5-4). Carson Crites and Drew Avans each doubled and drove in a run.
Avans (1-1), who started the game as the designated hitter, took the loss, giving up a run on two hits with a strikeout in 1.2 innings for the Lions. Starter Carlisle Koestler allowed three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 3.1 innings. Bryce Tassin and Josh Green each gave up a run in relief.
For the first time in the series, SLU got on the board first, with Daniel Wasinger singling up the middle, advancing to second on a passed ball, then scoring on Schwaner's single down the leftfield line in the first inning.
The lead was short-lived as HBU answered with a pair in the bottom of the first, as senior rightfielder Brrandon Brintz walked, then scored on Halloran's double down the leftfield line. Pulcheon followed with a single to left to put the Huskies ahead, 2-1.
The Lions tied the game in the third when Schwaner tripled and scored on a double by Crites. SLU took the lead in the fourth, as Trenon Trosclair singled to center, stole second, then scored on Avans' double to straightaway center.
HBU came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the fourth when Jones led off with a double, went to third on a groundout by senior designated hitter
Joe Van Marterr and scored on a sacrifice fly by Fitzgerald.
The Huskies took the lead for good in the fifth as Otten was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and scored on another RBI double by Halloran.
Carter hit Brennan Breaud with a pitch to lead off the sixth, then Trosclair laid down a sacrifice bunt. Newton took over and struck out pinch hitter Trey Morgan and Avans, both looking, to end the inning and slammed the door on the Lions the rest of the way.
HBU scored two more in the eighth as Halloran led off with a single and came around to score when senior third baseman
Austin Zillweger reached on an error. Zillweger came around to score on Heck's pinch-hit, RBI single up the middle to put the Huskies up, 6-3.
The sweep is the Huskies' first in Southland Conference play since taking three-straight at Stephen F. Austin April 10-11, 2015.
HBU returns to action against Lamar in a three-game Southland Conference series Friday through Sunday in Beaumont.
