LAFAYETTE, La. -- Sam Houston State starting pitcher Sam Odom did everything in his power to spoil Opening Day for No. 6 Louisiana, but late miscues helped the Ragin' Cajuns slip by the Bearkats 2-1 in 10 innings in front of 4,473 fans at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field in Lafayette on Friday.
The right-handed pitcher held Louisiana (1-0) hitless for six innings before allowing a leadoff solo home run to Brenn Conrad in the seventh, at the time squaring the game at 1-1. Odom permitted just two hits and one earned run in eight innings, striking out eight while walking one.
“Anytime you have four pitches and you can locate all of them, you're going to be a handful for whoever you're facing,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “That's an extremely good lineup over there he was trying to manipulate his way through.”
The Ragin' Cajuns Kyle Clement led off the 10th inning with a single to right field. Then, Derek Herrington successfully laid down a bunt to move the runner over but an errant throw allowed the left fielder to move to second, advancing Clement to third.
Reliever Miles Manning (0-1), who came in with no outs in the ninth, intentionally walked Dylon Poncho to load the bases. The Kats moved five players into the infield and left-fielder Zach Smith successfully threw out Clement at home on a dribbler from Ishmael Edwards. However, on a 0-1 count, a missed sign resulted in a wild pitch and the winning run.
“We have to do a better job of executing,” Deggs said. “We had a chance to get down a squeeze in the seventh and take the lead again and we foul it off. In the last inning, we give up a knock and aren't able to make a play on a bunt. Then, we miss a pitch out. Little things we will have to clean up.”
In the seventh, Sam Houston's (0-1) sophomore Bryce Johnson extended his hit streak, which began on April 26 last season at Oklahoma, to 14 games with a single. Then, freshman Andrew Fregia, batting cleanup in his first collegiate game, came through with a first-pitch double off the right field wall. Junior transfer Matt Broadbent gave the Bearkats a 1-0 lead with a fielder's choice RBI on a ball hit to the shortstop.
Despite UL's long ball in the seventh to tie it, the Kats had chances to add on and avoid extra frames. In the eighth, pinch-hitter Zach Smith smoked a 3-1 pitch off the fence in right center for a double and moved to third on a Lance Miles groundout to the right side. With one out, the Kats attempted to execute the squeeze play, but a foul ball with two strikes and ensuing fly out left Smith stranded.
One inning later, Odom allowed a leadoff walk to Nick Thurman, making way for Manning. In his first appearance on the mound with the Bearkats, the right-hander stranded Thurman on second with a lineout to center and fly out to first base.
Louisiana starter Gunner Leger was dominant through six innings, allowing just one hit against 19 batters while fanning three. Reliever Will Bacon allowed three Sam Houston hits and the Johnson run in 1 1-3 innings before making way for Dylan Moore (1-0) who allowed just one walk in the final 2 2-3 innings.
The Bearkats will look to bounce back when the opening three-game set continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. Sam Houston left-handed pitcher Hayden Nixon (0-1, 3.09 ERA in 2015) will oppose Louisiana's Wyatt Marks (6-1, 3.24 ERA in 2015).
“We competed really well,” Deggs said. “It was good to see all of them get their feet wet. Some guys had better nights than others but nobody backed off the gas pedal. They played our brand of baseball. It is one game and we still have a chance to win this series. We have to come out and correct some of these mistakes and be ready to go tomorrow.”
