Sam Houston was in great shape going into the eighth inning, leading No. 21 Houston 7-3, Tuesday night at Don Sanders Stadium before the Cougars rattled off 14 runs in the eighth and beat the Bearkats 17-7.

Dylan Ebbs started and tossed four innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Ryan Brinley tossed three scoreless innings in relief before running out of gas in the eighth.

Sam Houston exploded with a big six-run bottom of the second inning. Ebbs walked to start the frame and first baseman Spence Rahm followed with a single to right field. Catcher Collin Yelich got the Bearkats on the board with a single to plate Ebbs.

Third baseman Jake MacWilliam then ripped a double down the left-field line to score Rahm.

The Bearkats put the ball on the ground and forced Houston to make plays defensively. Yelich beat a throw at the plate on a fielder's choice ground ball by shortstop Miles Manning. MacWilliam scored on a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Colt Atwood. The Cougar pitcher threw the ball away allowing Atwood to not only reach but move to second base.

Second baseman Zach Smith drove in another run with a ground out to second base. The final run of the inning came home on an error at shortstop.

SHSU added an insurance run in the seventh inning. Lee legged out an infield single with two outs and stole second base. He came around to score on a single to right-center by substitute Bryce Johnson.

Houston loaded the bases with no outs to start the eighth inning. Alex Bisacca came out of the bullpen and allowed two singles that scored three Cougar runs.

Seth Holbert was called upon next and he issued a walk to load the bases. The next batter reached on the second catcher's interference call of the game. From there it got ugly. The Cougars followed with six hits and four walks.

This weekend Sam Houston will hit the road for a three-game series at Northwestern State. The Demons took two-of-three from the Bearkats last season in Huntsville.