HOUSTON – With two outs in the bottom of the 14
th inning, HBU senior catcher
Blake Thomas ripped a single up the middle to plate junior shortstop
Tyler Depreta-Johnson with the winning run in the Huskies' 2-1 victory over Sam Houston State in the Southland Conference series opener Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
Junior first baseman
Carey Jones as hit by a pitch to lead off the 14
th, then was lifted for junior pinch runner
Cody Marshall. Depreta-Johnson popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt, but Bearkats catcher Robie Rojas let it drop to get the force out at second, but the throw to try to complete a double play went past first and Depreta-Johnson took second on the error. After senior designated hitter
Joe Van Marter struck out for the second out, Thomas delivered the walk-off base hit.
Sophomore righthander
Zach Carter (6-3) picked up the win for HBU (24-20, 16-9 SLC) out of the bullpen, holding SHSU (32-18, 16-9) scoreless on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 7.2 innings. Senior starter
Addison Russ gave up an unearned run on four hits with seven strikeouts and six walks in 6.1 innings.
Junior first baseman
Jake Pulcheon went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Huskies, while senior rightfielder
Brandon Brintz went 1-for-4 with two walks and scored. Depreta-Johnson has reached safely in 23-straight SLC contests, but his 20-game conference hitting streak came to an end, as did his 23-game errorless streak.
SHSU starter Heath Donica went 9.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts and five walks. Riley Cooper (0-3) took the loss, as he had put Jones aboard in the 14
th, then Dakota Mills gave up the single to Thomas.
Blake Chisholm went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles, while Rojas went 2-for-4 and scored the Bearkats' lone run.
The game was scoreless through six, then Russ walked the bases loaded with one out in the seventh and was lifted for Carter. Rojas scored on a passed ball to give SHSU the lead, then Riley McKnight was caught stealing on a failed suicide squeeze and Bryce Johnson flied out to end the threat.
Senior centerfielder
Zane Otten flied out to leadoff the bottom of the ninth for HBU, but Brintz and junior leftfielder
Spencer Halloran drew back-to-back walks. Pulcheon came through with an RBI single up the middle to tie the game, 1-1, then Depreta-Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Senior third baseman
Austin Zillweger hit a grounder up the middle, but Donica tipped it with his glove to slow it down enough for the Bearkats to turn a double play to send the game to extra innings.
The series continues Saturday with a 1 p.m. start, followed by the finale Sunday at 2 p.m. Saturday is Senior Day for 10 Huskies, with pregame festivities beginning at 12:30. The Legacy Sports Network audio broadcast with
Russ Reneau will begin at 12:45 with the pregame show on HBUHuskies.com and there will be no video broadcast, due to conflicts with HBU's commencement ceremonies.
