HUNTSVILLE, Texas - HBU jumped out of the gate with a three-run first inning and junior lefthander
Austin Spinney baffled Sam Houston State to hurl the Huskies to a 7-2 victory over the Bearkats in the Southland Conference baseball opener Friday night at Don Sanders Stadium.
Spinney (1-4) allowed two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in 7.1 innings. Junior
Dylan Murphy shut SHSU out over an inning and junior
Andrew Reitmeyer recorded the final two outs of the game.
Senior rightfielder
Brandon Bena went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while senior third baseman
Cal Clark went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs for the Huskies (4-10, 1-0 SLC). Senior second baseman
Trent Franson was 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run and senior centerfielder
Chase Talbot was 2-for-5 with a double and a run. Freshman designated hitter
Sean Horgan and junior leftfielder
Parker Wayne each had two hits and junior catcher
Todd Jackson scored twice.
Tyler Davis (2-1) gave up six runs, three earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 6.2 innings.
Jack Rogers went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs, while Colton Cowser went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Bearkats (6-6, 0-1).
Talbot led off the game with a double to rightcenter, but the next two batters were retired. After Jackson walked, Bena ripped a two-run double to rightcenter to put the Huskies on the board. Clark followed with a double down the rightfield line to cap the three-run, two-out rally.
Franson led off the third with a double, then Gonzales reached on a bunt single, but the throw to first got away, allowing Franson to score to make it 4-0.
Gonzales reached on an error with two outs and nobody on, then Jackson was hit by pitch. Bena delivered an RBI single through the right side, then Clark rocked a two-run double to left to extend the Huskies' lead to 7-0.
The Bearkats finally broke through in the eighth, when Rodgers came through with a bases-loaded, two-run double.
The series continues with a 3 p.m. first pitch Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. start Sunday. Both games can be heard on the Husky Sports Network with
Russ Reneau.
