Conway, Ark - Leftfielder Luke Plucheck's two-run triple to right field in the top of the eighth inning scored the go-ahead runs as Sam Houston State ended the 2012 regular season with a 7-4 victory over Central Arkansas Saturday afternoon.
The victory allowed Sam Houston to tie the Southland Conference record for most league victories in a season. The Bearkats won the 2012 regular season championship with a 24-9 record. Only two other teams, Texas State and UTSA, have won 24 Southland games in one year.
Sam Houston completes the regular season 36-18 and will be the No. 1 seed the Southland Conference post-season tournament that begins Wednesday in San Marcos.
The UCA Bears (25-28, 16-17), who secured their first Southland Conference Tournament bid Friday night, got a two-run home run from senior first baseman Bryan Willson to tie the at 2-2 in the sixth inning.
The league-leading Bearkats went back ahead 3-2 in the top of the seventh on a run-scoring single by center fielder Colt Atwood.
The Bears' designated hitter Blake Roberts launched his team-high seventh home run over the left-field fence to tie it at 3-3.
Sam Houston also added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth as second baseman Jessie Plumlee singled, stole second, reached third on an error and scored on a wild pitch and catcher John Hale blasted an RBI single up the middle..
UCA had only six hits while Bearkats totaled 14 hits, led by Atwood, who went 3 for 4.
SHSU reliever Brandon Bergen got the victory on the mound while Allen Scott was credited with his fourth save of the season.
