HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State starting pitcher Sam Odom was sharp for the second straight outing against a top 25 team, but this time it was a family affair that helped the Bearkats pick up their first win in 4-3 fashion against No. 25 Oklahoma at Don Sanders Stadium on Friday.
With the game tied 3-3 in the eighth, younger brother Mac Odom pinch ran for Jaxxon Grisham who led off with a walk. The speedy freshman advanced to second on a passed ball and third on a Bryce Johnson sacrifice bunt before scoring the winning run on Matt Broadbent loop single to center.
“He was the first one I went to right after he scored,” Sam Odom said. “I said, 'hey you're going to get me this win right here' and he said, 'yes sir, I am.' We played with each other in high school but this is completely different. It's fun playing with my brother.”
The elder Odom tossed eight masterful innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs. With a pitch count exceeding 100, the junior right-hander escaped a runners on second and third jam in the eighth with his final of six strikeouts on the night, firing up a raucous 1,160 fans.
The win moved Sam Houston to 1-5 on the season while the Sooners fell to 3-3. After taking leads on UTSA and No. 23 Texas Tech to start the seven-game home stand, second-year head coach Matt Deggs knew the winning result was coming.
“They practiced yesterday like they were in the top 25,” Deggs said. “These guys like to work and it was a matter of time before we played a complete game. Sammy gave us that opportunity. Any time you get that kind of performance it sets the tone for everyone else. I thought we played good defense and came up with some big hits.”
The two clubs played a back-and-forth battle in the middle innings as Oklahoma jumped ahead 2-0 in the third on a two-run home run from catcher Renae Martinez over the left field fence. The Bearkats responded, manufacturing a run in the fourth. Riley McKnight drew a full-count walk and stole second before coming around to score on the first of two Broadbent RBIs.
An inning later, Spence Rahm, who also earned the save by tossing a perfect ninth inning, led off the frame with a single. He moved to third on a double to right center from Robie Rojas. The Kats capitalized on Oklahoma miscues as Rahm scored on a wild pitch and Rojas came home on a passed ball for 3-2 lead.
The Sooners evened the score in the sixth when Ben Hollas posted a first-pitch, one-out triple, eventually coming around to score. However, Broadbent stole the show in the eighth lifting a ball into shallow center down 0-2 in the count with two outs and Odom on third.
“We practice hard,” Broadbent said. “That's our big thing. We were out there yesterday practicing like we were 5-0 not 0-5. That's the mentality we have. We're going to come here every day and keep grinding.”
In the win, center fielder Bryce Johnson, who also showed off some leather with a fourth-inning diving catch, moved his hit streak to 19 games and reached base streak to 20 games. Both streaks began when the Bearkats and Sooners met in Noman, Okla., last April.
The squads continue the three-game series on Saturday at 3 p.m. Sam Houston's Heath Donica will make his first start against the Sooners' Alec Hansen. Tickets can be purchased by visiting GoBearkats.com or at the ticket window outside the stadium.
“It was good to get that first win,” Deggs said. “Now that this crew knows what it tastes like – they're so young and so new – they like it. I never doubted their work ethic or the way they compete. We've been where we've been for a reason. These guys have learned to persevere.”
