BEAUMONT -- With Southland Conference championship implications on the line, the Sam Houston State baseball team preached doing its job and making routine plays. There was nothing ordinary about the performance of right-hander Greg Belton, though.
After recording a save, tossing four innings in the day's opener, the senior earned the win second game, limiting the Cardinals potent offense in a 7-4 Sam Houston victory on Sunday afternoon.
“We're at the time of the year where heroes step up,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “We're in the midst of writing a story that's pretty special. Greg Belton is a gigantic part of that story. He's one of the most selfless guys I have been around.”
The squads resumed play at 11 a.m. in a game postponed in the fourth inning on Saturday due to lightning, with Sam Houston winning 9-4, before concluding the series afterwards. By taking the final two games, the Bearkats won their eighth-straight league series.
“It means to the world to me to be able to come up in these big spots,” Belton said. “They put up runs and it just gives me the confidence to throw up zeroes for them. You play the game to have a chance at getting that ring. We have a chance to next weekend.”
Like the first two games, Sam Houston (33-19, 21-6 SLC) jumped ahead early, as Andrew Fregia belted a three-run home run over the wall in left with two outs in the first. The homer was his team-leading seventh, scoring Lance Miles and Mac Odom who each singled.
“The three-run jack in the first was gigantic,” Deggs said. “The way we were playing, that might have well been five or six. We had pressure on them all weekend. We did a great job spinning the game out of control. Our speed came into play.”
The tandem of Jaxxon Grisham and Taylor Beene in the No. 8 and No. 9 spots in the batting order payed dividends for the Bearkats. On two occasions, Beene doubled to score Grisham all the way from first, including doing so in the second inning to make it 4-0.
Two innings later, it was the same result to tack on another run and make it 5-0. The duo also played a role in Sam Houston's two-run sixth. In the frame, Riley McKnight notched a one-out single before the Bearkats continued their two-out damage on the day.
“That me a lot of confidence,” Belton said. “I knew we were going to keep scoring. I knew I just had to fill up the zone. Our defense was incredible all weekend. They made it easy on me.”
Grisham singled through the left side moving McKnight to third. Beene continued his stout day with an RBI single to center field and Bryce Johnson followed with an RBI double to right, making it 7-2.
“We have incredibly short memories and we're just going to keep coming wave after wave and that's what you're seeing,” Deggs said. “There are guys who keep showing up. If you do that enough times, good things are going to happen.”
Johnson also made three tremendous plays in center field including a diving catch in the eighth inning which prevented further Lamar (32-17, 17-10 SLC) damage. The grab came with runners on second and third with no outs. Despite adding a pair in the frame off reliever Miles Manning, Sam Houston held a 7-4 lead through eight.
“The center field that he played this weekend was unbelievable,” Deggs said. “The pressure we applied to them with long at bats and hitting the ball hard one after another and the ability to keep coming, it was relentless all weekend.”
Jordan Cannon made his first appearance on the mound since May 4, tossing two innings, allowing four hits and was charged with three runs while fanning one. Belton, who tossed a combined 128 pitches between the two games, moved to 4-1.
Lamar starter Fernando Martinez (2-3) drew the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in three innings. The Bearkats exploded for 12 hits and combined to score 24 games over the three games.
Sam Houston will play for a shot at the league regular-season championship next week, hosting Houston Baptist beginning Thursday. The Bearkats trail conference-leader Southeastern Louisiana by one game with the Lions visiting red-hot Central Arkansas.
“No matter what happens, with the adversity we've faced and the challenges we've overcome, I'm proud of our guys,” Deggs said. “You can't ask for anything else other than to be playing for a championship on the last weekend. We've got a brand new crew of guys who have come together for something more than themselves.”
The Kats conclude their seven-game road trip on Tuesday, visiting No. 2 Texas A&M at 6:35 p.m. The game will be available on the SEC Network Plus, available online through the WatchESPN app and ESPN3.com.
