BEAUMONT – With a 19 hour, 29 minute rain delay behind them, Sam Houston State's offense picked up where it left off, scoring two runs in the fifth in route to a 9-4 victory.
The squads were halted Saturday at 3:34 p.m. by a lightning delay and were ultimately forced to pick back up on Sunday at 11 a.m. At the time, Sam Houston led 7-3 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The three-game finale will begin at 1 p.m.
In the fifth, Andrew Fregia reached on a hit by pitch and advanced to second on a Riley McKnight sacrifice bunt. Robie Rojas followed with an RBI triple to right field and came around to score on hitter later courtesy of Jaxxon Grisham's groundout.
The Bearkats poured on six runs in the third on Saturday, pounding out seven hits in the frame. Zach Smith broke the tie, scoring two runs with a liner through the right side, plating Odom and Johnson, who each reached on infield singles.
Sam Houston's biggest damage came with two outs as Rojas's RBI single was followed by consecutive doubles from Grisham and Taylor Beene.
Riley Gossett, who was effective on Saturday, made way for Hayden Nixon and Greg Belton. Gossett's final weather-shortened line included 3 2-3 innings pitched, three runs and six hits. The freshman walked one and fanned a pair.
Nixon (3-2) entered as the game resumed, using two pitches for the final out of the fourth but quickly ran into trouble in the fifth. Despite a bases loaded walk to make it 9-4, the senior recorded a big strikeout to end the frame.
Greg Belton recorded his 10th save, tossing the final four innings, allowing just two hits and no runs while fanning two and walking a pair. With the result, the senior moves into a tie for second place for saves in a season, matching Michael Burchett (2010).
The Cardinals jumped ahead in the opening frame, following up a single and error with an RBI double but Riley Gossett buckled down, stranding the runners there with a strikeout, shallow-outfield pop up and nicely snagged lineout by Fregia at third.
Sam Houston bounced right back in the second as Fregia led off with a hustling triple to left center, his seventh of the season. The freshman, who entered the weekend No. 10 nationally in the category came home to score two hitters later on Rojas's double. The RBI tied the game at 1-1.
