HUNTSVILLE, Texas - HBU senior righthander
Kyle Gruller held down Sam Houston State long enough for the Huskies to push ahead late for a 3-1 victory to clinch the Southland Conference opening series Saturday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium.
Gruller (1-2) scattered four hits, allowing one run, striking out six and walking four in 6.2 innings. Junior righthander
Andrew Reitmeyer picked up his first seven, retiring all seven batters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts.
Senior rightfielder
Brandon Bena went 2-for-4 with a double and senior shortstop
Nathan Soriano went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice for the Huskies (5-10, 2-0 SLC). Senior second baseman
Trent Franson, senior first baseman
Johnny Gonzales and junior catcher
Todd Jackson each drove in a run.
Dominic Robinson did not factor into the decision for the Bearkats (6-7, 0-2), giving up one run on three hits with 10 strikeouts and four walks in 5.2 innings. Garrett Egli (0-1) took the loss, giving up two unearned runs on three hits with a strikeout and a walk in 2.1 innings.
Corbin Vines went 2-for-2 and drove in the lone run for SHSU.
Soriano drew a leadoff walk in the third, then went to third on Franson's hit-and-run single to right. Gonzales hit a comebacker to the mound, but it ticked off the glove of Robinson to the shortstop, who could not make a play for the force out at second. Soriano scored to put the Huskies up, 1-0.
The Bearkats tied it in the fourth when Bryce Holmes drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a wild pitch and third on a fly out. Vines came through with a two-out single to knot the game at 1-1.
Soriano once again got things started in the seventh with a leadoff single, then went to second on wild pitch, but was thrown out at third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by senior centerfielder
Chase Talbot. Talbot stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Jackson smacked an RBI single up the middle as the Huskies regained a 2-1 lead.
Soriano led off the ninth with a single to center, went to second on junior
Jake Miller's pinch sacrifice bunt and third on a passed ball. Franson then put down a suicide squeeze bunt to plate the insurance run.
Reitmeyer set the Bearkats down in order in the ninth, striking out Wes Folse for the final out.
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday and can be heard on the Husky Sports Network broadcast with
Russ Reneau, beginning at 12:45 with the pregame show.
