Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DALLAS – The Sam Houston Bearkats pitched well, but could not get the bats going on Sunday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Dallas Baptist at Horner Ballpark.
The Kats (4-4) and Patriots (4-3) were able to squeeze in the series opener on Friday despite near freezing temperatures, but inclement weather forced the teams to reschedule the final two games to Sunday, both of which were 7-inning affairs.
Despite getting a strong start from both
Coltin Atkinson in Game 1 and
Steven Beard in Game 2, the DBU arms were just as good, holding the Kats to just three total runs for the day.
The Kats will now return home to open up an 8-game stretch of games at Don Sanders Stadium, beginning Tuesday night when they host undefeated and No. 1 Texas. The game, which will be aired on ESPN+, is just the second ever trip to Huntsville for the Longhorns and the first since 2017.
Game 1 (7 innings)
Dallas Baptist 3, Sam Houston 2
Things were a pitcher's duel through five innings before DBU's George Specht broke a 1-1 deadlock with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, propelling the Patriots to a series-clinching win in the day's opener.
SHSU's
Coltin Atkinson and DBU's Chandler Arnold went at it for the first four frames before Arnold was lifted in favor of reliever Bubba Hall to open the fifth. Atkinson made it through 5.0 full frames, allowing just one run on five hits with seven strikeouts, but it was
Logan Hewitt who took the loss with the two runs allowed in the bottom of the sixth.
Specht's homer made a winner of DBU reliever Bubba Hall, while Luke Trahan came in to put out a fire in the top of the seventh that saw the Kats leave the tying and go-ahead runners on the bases.
The Kats finished with eight total hits, getting two apiece from
Clayton Chadwick,
Justin Wishkoski and
Easton Loyd. Chadwick pushed home the first Bearkat run of the game in the top of the third, scoring
Anthony MacKenzie to tie the game at 1-1. Wishkoski then picked up an RBI with a single in the seventh to score pinch runner
Myles Jefferson and keep the Kats' late threat going; however, Trahan was able to come in and retire both
Carlos Contreras and
Trent Touchet to earn his first save of the season.
Game 2 (7 innings)
Dallas Baptist 4, Sam Houston 1
A 3-run fifth inning provided the cushion DBU needed to close out the weekend sweep behind a strong outing from starter Jacob Meador and an 8-hit performance by its offense.
Bearkat starter
Steven Beard was solid through the first 4.0 innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth, finishing with four runs allowed in 4.2 frames and four strikeouts, taking his first loss of the season. On the other side, Jacob Meador moved to 2-0 for DBU, working around four walks to put up 5.0 scoreless innings with four strikeouts of his own.
Beard looked strong through the first two frames before DBU's Jace Grady touched him up with a solo home run over the left-field wall with two outs in the third.
The Kats had a golden opportunity in the first inning to get to Meador, loading the bases on a single by Contreras and walks to Wishkoski and Loyd; however, the Patriot righty was able to work out of the jam and did not allow another hit for the remainder of his 5.0 frames on the hill.
DBU gave him more cushion in the bottom of the fifth when consecutive doubles by Jaxon Holder and Blayne Jones upped the lead to 2-0. Three batters later they tacked on two more on a single by Andrew Benefield.
Justin Wishkoski answered to lead off the sixth, launching his first homer as a Bearkat over the left-field wall, but that would be the only answer the Kats would have the rest of the way as Peyton Sherlin fiinished things off.
