The Bearkat baseball team now holds a 2-2 record against Dallas Baptist this season following a 7-4 loss to the Patriots Tuesday.
The hit count was similar for both teams, as the Patriots out hit the
Bearkats only 13-11, but Dallas Baptist was able to better capitalize on what they had and drive in three more runs.
The biggest producer, without a doubt, for the Patriots was first baseman Greg Lindsey.
In the first inning, the Patriots’ two runs were hit off a Lindsey single, and in the third inning, Lindsey crushed the ball over the Holleman Field fence for a three run homer. The junior from Pampa, Texas, ended up going three for three with two walks, one run and five RBIs.
“We kept getting behind in the count,” Bearkat assistant coach Phillip
Ghutzman said about the Patriot slugger. “Once you’re behind in the count, everyone knows what’s coming.”
The Bearkats found themselves behind 6-1 going into the bottom of the third inning. Jeremy Holzbach scored on an Andrew Kasparek double, but that was all the Bearkats were able to come up with until the ninth inning.
At the bottom of the ninth, the Bearkats found themselves with a considerable 7-2 deficit, but they still wanted to take the game. After a walk, the bases were loaded with designated hitter Dom Garcia at the plate. Garcia delivered a single that sent Holzbach and Lou Ferrell home.
The rally would not last for long, as the next batter, Phillip Weaver, hit into a double play to close out the game 7-4.
Dustin Craig (2-5) started off on the mound for the Bearkats, but Tuesday’s performance would be short-lived. Craig was pulled in the third inning after giving up six runs off of seven hits.
Nathan Osterman came in to relieve Craig and pitched a near flawless 3 2/3 innings.
With the 17 batters he faced, he allowed only three hits, two walks and one run. To close out the game, the Bearkats turned to Caleb Rodgers, Nathan Boyd, Ryan Myers and Nathan Brewer. The four relievers collectively shut out the rest of the Patriots, allowing only three hits in the final 3 1/3 innings.
“I think we were really enthused by the way we pitched and played defense,” Ghutzman said.
Jonathan Stone’s bat found the ball most often for the Bearkats, as he went three for four on the day. Garcia earned himself two RBIs for the day and Kasparek hit one. Both Garcia and Holzbach went two for four Tuesday.
With the loss, the Bearkats will need to get the momentum to shift back to their side before the upcoming Southland Conference series against Northwestern State in Huntsville.
The two teams have not met so far this season, but the Demons (6-6) currently hold a slight lead over the Bearkats (4-8) in the standings.
Despite being ahead of the Bearkats, Ghutzman said Sam Houston still has a chance to turn things around this weekend.
“If we get a pitching performance like we got last Saturday and Sunday, we’ll be right back in the thick of things,” he said.
The Bearkats are currently tied with McNeese State and Nicholls State for the seventh place spot in the SLC standings. All three schools are one game behind sixth place Texas-San Antonio. The top six teams will enter the post-season tournament.
The weekend’s series against Northwestern State will begin Friday at 3 p.m. at Holleman Field.