HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team lost to Sam Houston State, 9-2 and 7-5 on Friday at Don Sanders Stadium in Southland Conference action.
The Bearkats (18-19, 10-7) pounded 13 hits in game one of the doubleheader and were propelled to a win by Zach Smith's three-RBI game, including a solo home run in the second inning. He finished the game with two hits and three runs. Ryan Brinley and Miles Manning also finished 2-for-4 and each had an RBI and a run scored. Every offensive starter for the Bearkats collected at least one hit.
Andrew Godail hurled six innings to earn the win, and allowed only four hits and one unearned run. He walked one and struck out three in his second win of the year. Alex Bisacca earned his first save of the season with three innings of one run baseball. He allowed three hits and struck out one Cardinal.
Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis JS) took the loss in game one for the Cardinals (11-22, 2-12) going 6.1 innings allowing five runs (two earned), walking one and striking out four.
Ethan McGill (Penn Valley, CA/Nevada Union HS) and
Blake Woosley (Corvallis, OR/Philomath HS) finished 1-for-3 with an RBI apiece, for the only two runs of the game for UIW. McGill's run and RBI came off a solo jack in the ninth inning.
In the second game, the Bearkats jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. Hayden Simerly had a single and a double in the first two innings and scored each time while Hunter Courson tripled and scored in the second and drove in a run in the third.
The Cardinals came back to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning. McGill led off with a single,
Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) followed with a double and
Weston Pitts (Highland Village/FM Marcus HS) walked to load the bases.
Christian Divelbiss (Yuba City, CA/Yuba City HS) followed with a two-run double and after one out,
Mark Whitehead (San Antonio/Johnson HS) singled home two more runs.
Austin Hoffman (Goodyear, AZ/Millenium HS) brought in the final run of the inning on a two-out single to tie the game.
Courson gave the lead back to the Bearkats in the fifth inning on a run-scoring single and then they added an insurance run in the eighth.
After pounding SHSU starting pitcher Logan Boyd for nine hits and four walks in 5.2 innings the Cardinals managed just one hit in the final 3.1 innings against Greg Belton and Ryan Brinley. Boyd was credited with the win while Brinley notched the save. Colt Atwood led Sam Houston with three hits and he scored twice.
Cody Richey (Comfort/Comfort HS) was tagged with the loss for the Cardinals after giving up a run in 1.1 innings of relief. Kahle, Divelbiss and
Braden Martin (Andrews/Andrews HS) each had two hits in the game while Pitts drew a pair of walks.
The teams will attempt to finish the three-game series on Saturday at 11 a.m. weather permitting.
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