Second baseman Andrew Espinosa blasted a triple to right field just under a diving Bryce Johnson to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead Houston Baptist to a 6-0 victory over Sam Houston in the Southland Conference championship game Saturday night at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.
The play broke a scoreless tie that had lasted seven and a half innings thanks to a strong pitching effort by Sam Houston's junior right hander Greg Belton in only his second start of the season. Belton allowed only one of HBU's first seven base runners to get past second base. He struck out six of the 32 Huskies he faced.
With two out in the eighth, Belton walked second baseman Samm Wiggins and gave up a single to first baseman Andrew Alvarez. Jordan Church took over and Espinoa lifted his first pitch into right field for the game winner.
Left fielder Brandon Moronos, third baseman Justin Monsour, right fielder Thomas Clay and center fielder Nehrir added four more runs on three singles and a double. The victory punched the Huskies' ticket to the NCAA Regional playoffs next week. The No. 7 seed, HBU (28-25) took home the trophy in their first ever Southland tournament appearance.
“I'm so proud of this baseball team,” Sam Houston head coach Matt Deggs said. “They were playing for a championship and a trip to the NCAA regional tonight. You don't always get to do that. They fought so hard every game. We've been through a lot of adversity this year and they stuck together and fought through it to get to this game.”
Sam Houston had opportunities, totaling seven hits and leaving five runners on base. But, behind the pitching of HBU's Curtis Jones, the Bearkats never got a runner past second base until hits by Jake MacWilliam, Hayden Simerly and Miles Manning loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
“We had some chances early and made some mistakes,” Deggs said. “Give a lot of credit to Houston Baptist. They played a great game tonight. And what an effort by Greg Belton on the mound. He's been in and out of the bull pen this year with arm trouble but he came to play tonight.”
The Bearkats end the year 31-28. Sam Houston battled its way into its sixth Southland Conference tournament championship game appearance in the Kats' 14 trips to the event.
First baseman Spence Rahm, MacWilliam and catcher Collin Yelich led Sam Houston at the plate with two hits apiece. The Bearkats totaled 10 hits while Houston Baptist rolled up 12.
Belton took the loss. Church faced four batters in relief and Alex Bisacca finished off the eighth inning against the final three Huskie hitters.
MacWilliam, Johnson, Simerly and Andrew Godail all were selected to the Southland Conference all-tournament team.
