HUNTSVILLE – With the wind blowing in on a usually chilly Friday night at Don Sanders Stadium, the Bearkats found a way to manufacture and back a strong performance from ace Sam Odom.
The right-hander went the distance, striking out seven, including three in the ninth, leading Sam Houston to its sixth straight Southland Conference win and eight overall victory in nine games, defeating Central Arkansas 2-0 in the first of a three-game set.
“That was a heck of a Friday night tilt right there,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “Their guy (Connor) Gilmore is a grown man. Sammy went out there and matched him every inning. He kept throwing up zeroes. We had a feeling it was going to be this type of game, especially with these kind of conditions.”
Helping Odom's cause, the Bearkats (14-13 overall, 7-3 SLC) struck early, as Bryce Johnson fought off a 1-2 count for an infield single to lead off the game before advancing to second on a Riley McKnight sacrifice bunt and taking third on a wild pitch. Lance Miles collected his fifth RBI of the season, taking a single through the right side giving the Kats their 23rd first-inning run – the most of any frame.
“It was just locating my fastball, that's what got me off to a good start,” Odom said. “Thank goodness we came out and scored in the first. That gave me a boost throughout the ballgame instead of having to wait for a run.”
In nine innings, Odom (3-0) threw 106 pitches, with only a pair of taxing frames. The junior held the opposition scoreless for the second time in three starts, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the second and stranding runners on second and third with back-to-back groundouts in the fourth.
“I was looking to minimize as much damage as I could,” Odom said. “If I give up one, I give up one. I knew I had to start throwing fastballs. If I locate it and I get groundballs, we get out of the inning. I let my defense do most of the work and they came up for me.”
The Kats played error-free baseball for the sixth time this season, showcasing some leather defensively. Catcher Robie Rojas, who threw out a runner and made a sensational diving catch in foul ground, provided the pop needed at the plate in the seventh.
Rojas took a first pitch to the warning track in right, using some assistance from the wind to leg out a one-out triple. One hitter later, Taylor Beene executed a successful squeeze bunt, plating Rojas who was breaking on the pitch to make it 2-0.
“It's part of our pack mentality,” Deggs said. “We are built to do whatever we have to do on any given night. If this wind is blowing in, we've got to manufacture. If it's blowing out, we can play a little more physical lineup. Guys like Gilmore aren't easy to get to. That second run might as well have been the ninth or 10th.”
The two runs were all that was needed against Central Arkansas's (12-12 overall, 5-5 SLC) Gilmore (2-4), who was saddled with the loss despite scattering six hits and two runs while walking three and striking out a pair in eight innings.
“We're playing pack baseball which is what coach Deggs has been drilling in our head since day one,” Rojas said. “We look to play aggressive with no fear of failing. You play as hard as you can and spin the game out of control. You keep coming after them the whole time. That's the way we've been playing lately.”
The squads return for the middle game on Saturday at 3 p.m. Sam Houston will send right-hander Heath Donica (3-2, 4.06 ERA) to the mound against the Bears' Cody Davenport (2-0, 3.05 ERA). Tickets are available by visiting GoBearkats.com or can be purchase at the ticket window.
