Sam Houston swept a Southland Conference baseball doubleheader from Incarnate Word by scored of 9-2 and 7-5 Friday at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas.
The victories up the Bearkats' record to 18-19 for the year and 10-7 in league play. The Cardinals fall to 11-22 on the season and 2-12 in Southland action.
Sam Houston banged out 13 hits in the opening game. After waiting three hours to start the game due to a rain storm just before the scheduled 1 p.m. start, second baseman Zach Smith got the Kats off to a quick start in the opening contest with a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the second inning.
Cardinal second baseman Blake Woosley singled to right field to knot the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth. Left fielder Jesse Hoover scored the unearned run after reaching first base on a two-out error.
A one-out, bases loaded single by left fielder Hayden Simerly broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth inning. Center fielder Colt Atwood singled to score a third run as the Kats took a 4-1 lead.
Catcher Collin Yelich added another run in the bottom of the seventh with a single that scored Smith who reached on an error and advanced to third on a double by third baseman Ryan Brinley.
Sam Houston added four more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on hits by Smith and shortstop Miles Manning. UIW first baseman Ethan McGill accounted for the Cardinals' second run with a solo homer to right field in the top of the ninth.
Andrew Godail (2-4) picked up the win, spreading four hits over six innings and striking out three Cardinals. Alex Bisacca picked up his first save of the season pitching the final four innings. Geno Encina (1-3) was the loser for UIW.
Sam Houston jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first three innings of the nightcap.
Right fielder Bryce Johnson's two-out single opened the scoring with a run in the first. Simerly, Atwood and designated hitter Dalton Perry each produced an RBI single in a three-run second inning. In the third, second baseman Jake MacWilliam walked and later scored on an error.
The Cardinals roared back for five runs in the top of the fourth on a pair of two-run doubles by designated hitter Christian Divelbiss and center fielder Mark Whitehead. Shortstop Austin Hoffman added an RBI single to tie the contest.
Catcher Hunter Courson put the SHSU men in the lead with a RBI single in the fifth inning. Atwood added another run in the bottom of the eighth inning as he singled and later scored on a wild pitch.
Starter Logan Boyd (4-3) got the victory after pitching five and two-thirds innings. He struck out eight Cardinal batters. Greg Belton pitched two and a third innings and Ryan Brinley picked up his third save of the year throwing in the final frame. Cody Richey (0-4) got the loss for UIW.
The two teams will meet in the final game of the series Saturday at 11 a.m.
