With wins over the Rice Owls and the Prairie View A&M Panthers, the Sam Houston State University baseball team is enjoying a three- game winning streak.The Bearkats started the week off by putting the finishing touches on their sweep of the fourth-ranked Rice Owls Tuesday, when Clint House came off the bench to hit a two-out, two-run homer to win the game in the ninth inning.Starting pitcher for the Bearkats was Jeff Vanlandingham.In eight innings, Vanlandingham gave up only six hits and two walks, while passing out nine strikeouts to the Owls.The Bearkats found themselves in a pitchers dual as Rice’s David Aardsma put nine strikeouts in the book. He also gave the Bearkats five hits and one walk in seven and a third innings.Carroll Kelly set up House’s winning, two-run homer, Kelly’s first of the year, when he reached on an infield, two-out single to give the Kats hope. Brandon Foster scored in the eighth on a single off Aardsma. Marshall Williams followed up with a single off Rice relief pitcher Phillip Tribe. The hit moved Foster into scoring position for Buc Riva’s RBI single up the middle.Enrique Cruz, Owl’s shortstop and son of former Astro’s outfielder Jose Cruz, proved to be Vanlandingham’s only problem during the game.Cruz was two-for-four on the day, with a sixth inning double that put the first Rice-run on the board. Cruz also had an eighth inning solo home run that gave Rice a temporary lead.The Owl’s offense was not enough to overcome SHSU as Jordan Tata closed out the game in the ninth with a shut out inning, giving the Owls their fourth loss of the season and the Bearkat’s their fourth win.Wednesday the Bearkats hit the road to take on the Panthers and ran away with a 15-4 decision.Bearkat infielder Phillip Weaver lead the way for the SHSU victory, going four for five at the plate and racking up six RBIs.Jeremy Hermes,catcher, also stepped up for the Bearkats with a double homer to add to the SHSU lead. Hermes was three for five for day.Cory Whitlock, infielder, had three hits off the Panthers too.Several pitchers hit the mound for SHSU. Zach Adkisson opened for the Bearkats, but was relieved early in the first inning.Ryan Herrera came in for the Bearkats for two and two-thirds innings for the save.”We went in with intentions of using a lot of pitchers,” said Bearkat coach John Skeeters.The Bearkats will attempt to continue their success at the Centenary Tournament in Shreveport, La., beginning Friday against Louisiana Tech.The team will also play Arkensas-Little Rock on Saturday and Centenary on Sunday.
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