In five games against Texas Southern this season, the Sam Houston State University baseball team has outscored the Tigers 64-21. This Tuesday was no exception as the Bearkats blew TSU out of the water yet again, 10-7.
Both pitching staffs performed well through the first two innings, as neither team was able to bring in any runs. Starting pitcher Casey Springer (4-4) gave up just five hits and two runs in three innings to earn his fourth win of the season.
In the top of the third, centerfielder Jeremy Holzbach began a four-run inning with a single, used an error in the infield to advance to scoring position and stole home to put the first Bearkat run on the board. DH Karl Krailo and third baseman Daniel Cox then hit consecutive homeruns to bring three more runs across the plate and increase the Bearkats’ lead to 4-0. Holzbach, whose .329 batting average is currently the third best on the team, went 4 for 5 with four singles and an RBI against the Tigers.
TSU quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with two singles off of Springer and, with help from an error in the Bearkat infield, put their own pair of runs on the board.
The Bearkats stretched the lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth with a trio of singles from Holzbach, left fielder Tyson Mire and DH Karl Krailo.
Matt Heinrich took the mound for SHSU in the top of the sixth and gave up five hits and four runs before being replaced with Brandon Alford. With the Tigers trailing just 7-5, Alford gave up one hit on just two pitches to escape the inning with the Bearkats’ lead intact.
Alford kept the Tigers from scoring any runs for the rest of the game to earn the save.
A trio of SHSU runs in the top of the seventh put the game away and gave the Bearkats the 10-7 win. Second baseman Todd Twardowski led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error by the TSU infield. Catcher Chris Porter walked in the next at bat, followed by a single from Holzbach for his 13th RBI of the season. After a change on the mound for the Tigers, Mire welcomed the new pitcher with a double, scoring Holzbach and pinch runner Clint Mann.
The Bearkats begin their next conference series against Lamar in Beaumont this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. SHSU trails first place Lamar by four wins (9-6).