CORPUS CHRISTI – During the first two innings, the Sam Houston State baseball team stranded runners on the corners. One inning later, the squad found all the runs it needed.
The Bearkats used a four-run third and complete-game performance from starter Sam Odom to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-1, recording the 30th win of the season in the first of a three-game set at Chapman Field on Friday night.
Four straight Sam Houston (30-17, 18-4 Southland) hitters reached in the third, backed by as many hits and an Islanders error. After Andrew Fregia reached on a two-base error, Bryce Johnson and Zach Smith each doubled, making it 2-0.
Following a Lance Miles bunt single, putting runners on the corners, the hit-and-run was on for Robie Rojas who brought in a pair with a double down the left field line for the early 4-0 advantage.
“It's not always pretty,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “We left a lot of runs out there tonight but these boys find a way. It's a different guy every night. I was real proud of them because they pitched us tough tonight. We kept coming and finally busted through. That's what you have to do at this level.”
Odom permitted eight hits but held the Islanders to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. The right-hander kept A&M-Corpus Christi (15-30, 4-18 SLC) off the board during the first six innings, before one run in the seventh snapped the pitching staff's scoreless-inning streak at 24 straight.
“I think ever since the series at Nicholls, roles became defined,” Deggs said. “The biggest thing was the guys embracing those roles. There are 27 guys on this trip and I promise all 27 know their jobs. They're all pulling for each other.”
The complete-game was the third this season for Odom and continued his dominance against the Islanders. The Klein product, who fanned six, allowing just one run, is 3-0 all-time against the opponent including the clinching-game of the 2014 Southland Conference championship.
“That's Sammy for you,” Deggs said. “He gets stronger as the game goes on. The seventh, eighth and ninth are generally his strongest innings. He likes the big stage he likes to finish. He put us on his back tonight and carried us.”
Behind the plate, Rojas, who entered the day second in the Southland Conference in caught stealing, added his 20th of the season in the third innings.
“Behind the plate, he's as good as there is in this league,” Deggs said. “He's one of the better defensive catchers I have been around. He shuts down the running game, period. Once it happens, teams generally don't go back to it.”
At the dish, Rojas notched his fourth multi-RBI game of the season. Since the start of the Incarnate Word series on April 15, the Jersey Village product is hitting .295 (13 for 44), adding another dangerous bat on a team that leads the conference with a .311 batting average against league opponents.
“This was a great team win,” Rojas said. “We struggled with the bats at the beginning but Sammy pitched really well again tonight. We fed off of him.”
The Bearkats tacked on an insurance run in the sixth, helped by a one-out single and stolen base from Riley McKnight, making the start in the No. 8 spot. The freshman plated two hitters later as Fregia found the gap in left center for a single.
One inning later, Sam Houston continued its assault, using a Johnson single and Smith single to right center to make it 6-0.
“They're a pretty good team over there; they don't strike out much,” Odom said. “They put the bat on the ball and they get on. I was focusing on trying not to walk anybody. This was a big team win and the bats came up big for us. After the third, we were rolling from there.”
The win was the Bearkats' 17th in the last 18 Southland Conference games, helping the squad keep pace with league-leader Southeastern Louisiana at just one game back. The squads return for the middle game on Saturday at 6 p.m. Sam Houston sends right-hander Heath Donica (8-2, 3.33 ERA) to the mound.
“We got to 30 wins tonight and now we've got to sprint to 40,” Deggs said. “I like where we're at, especially the way we started the season. These kids have grown up.”
