Kats and Coogs meet again Tuesday
4/21/2014 3:53:00 PM | Baseball
Sam Houston is again looking to rebound as they head to Houston to take on the No. 13 Cougars Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Bearkats (26-14) lost 5-2 to Houston (29-10) and dropped two-of-three to Lamar on the road last week.
The Kats have four wins over ranked opponents this season but are 10-8 in Southland play and have lost three league series. SHSU is led offensively by catcher Anthony Azar. The senior is batting .359 with 32 RBI and eight homers. He has just seven strikeouts in 145 at bats, making him one of the toughest players in the nation to strikeout. He also leads the league in throwing out runners.
Sam Houston's pitching staff struggled last weekend at Lamar, allowing 27 total runs in the three games. The staff ERA rose half a point from 2.53 to 3.04. Ryan Brinley picked up his second save of the season in Friday night's comeback win.
David Longville has started seven midweek games for UH but doesn't hold a decision at 0-0 with a 3.41 ERA. He has been backed by Andrew Lantrip, who has notched a 3-0 record and a 0.71 ERA in six appearances.
The Cougars are hitting .267 as a team, led by Michael Pyeatt's .337 average. He is followed by Casey Grayson who is hitting .317 with a team-leading 24 RBI and 32 walks. Kyle Survance paces the team with 45 hits, while Josh Vidales leads the team in runs scored with 28.
Last week Houston took a 2-0 lead going to the fifth inning before Sam Houston tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth. The Cougars took the lead for good in the seventh on three singles. UH then tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth after a pair of Bearkat errors.
The Kats return to Don Sanders Stadium this weekend to host league-leading Southeastern Louisiana. SHSU is two games back of the Lions and just two games separate the top eight teams in the league.
