HUNTSVILLE – The more the Sam Houston State baseball team appears out of a game, the more it seems they have the opponent right where they want them.
The Bearkats used a five-run eighth inning and battled back from a four-run deficit to defeat Texas State 8-6, moving the squad's season-high win streak to seven games in front of 1,520 fans at Don Sanders Stadium on Monday night.
“When you're a fighter, you're never out of it,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “That is these guys' mentality. They love to compete and scrap. When that's what's in your heart, you look forward to these type of opportunities and when they present themselves and you have a chance to do something about it, you make the most of it.”
After scratching a run across in the sixth on a Hunter Hearn groundout, Sam Houston (13-12) headed into the eighth inning down three runs. As they did in the sixth, Bryce Johnson, who notched his team-leading 12th multi-hit game, began the frame with an infield single and two batters later, plated on a one-out single from Hearn to right field.
Barrett Koerselman drew the Bearkats second walk of the frame, putting runners on first and third. With speedy freshman Mac Odom in to pinch run at first, Zach Smith was called on to pinch hit and capitalized. The senior took a 2-2 pitch down the left field line for his Southland Conference-leading 10th double, scoring both Koerselman and Hearn to knot the game at six.
Still with one out, Sam Houston would load the bases on an intentional walk to Jordan Cannon. The Bobcats (15-10) went the bullpen bringing in submarine pitcher Braden Pearson (0-1) but Taylor Beene got the best of the at-bat, scoring the eventual winning runs with a two-run single. Not to be outdone, the junior transfer played a key role on the defensive end, as well.
“They brought in a submarine pitcher and I was looking to get a ball up,” Beene said. “I wanted to hit something hard on the ground hard and it worked out. We face (Austin) Woyt, which is a good guy to face because he comes in and is effective (as a submarine pitcher). We just keep coming big every game. You have to go out there and grind.”
On the mound, the Bearkats turned to senior Spence Rahm to make his first collegiate start. The right-hander was effective, tossing five innings while allowing seven hits and two earned runs including tossing a career-high 103 pitches.
“I was excited,” Rahm said. “It was just like pitching in relief. Luckily, I was able to go five and give us a good shot to stay in the ballgame. We've been playing really good baseball. It was good for us to keep going. They told to me go out there and have fun, compete and do whatever I could to help us win.”
Sam Houston held the Bobcats scoreless over the final four innings with Miles Manning (3-1) tossing three and allowing just three hits and fanning one. Greg Belton picked up his third save in four games, setting down Texas State in order in the ninth.
“I think the story of the story of the night is Spence Rahm going out and giving us 100 pitches with 65 of them being strikes,” Deggs said. “Then, Miles Manning coming in and pitching as well as we've seen him pitch all year. It's looking like Greg Belton is our guy at the back of the ballgame.”
The Bearkats opened the scoring in the third, taking a 2-0 lead, jump started by a leadoff triple from Jordan Cannon, who made his sixth start behind the plate. The eventual hero, Beene, followed with an RBI single to center before Johnson executed a sacrifice squeeze.
Texas State bounced back in the middle frames, tying the game at two in the fourth before a dropped ball with two outs in left field resulted in two runs scoring and four total in the fifth inning. Ultimately, however, it resulted in Sam Houston's fourth comeback victory when trailing after seven innings this season.
The win was Sam Houston's six straight against its former Southland Conference rival and continues the momentum entering Tuesday night's 6:30 p.m. game at Rice. The meeting will be the second this season between the Owls and rejuvenated Bearkats.
“You don't want to just be good in your league,” Deggs said. “For us to do what we want to big picture, we've got to be really good every Tuesday and Wednesday night – especially against these regional schools. We've got to stand up and win these games. Tomorrow is a big game on the road against the great team.”
