Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Nick Mikolajchak struck out a career-best 10 hitters and Clayton Harp crushed a pair of home runs as the Sam Houston State Bearkats took the opening game of a three-game series, 4-3, at McNeese on Friday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Sam Houston (29-13, 16-3 SLC) maintained a 2.5-game lead on the rest of the Southland Conference with the win on a night that saw the Bearkats have to hold on after the Cowboys (20-22, 14-8 SLC) made a late push in the game's final two innings.
Mikolajchak was brilliant throughout the night, striking out two hitters in each of the first three frames on his way to 10 punchouts on the night. He shut out the Cowboys and allowed just two hits through his first seven innings before being lifted after the first two McNeese hitters of the eighth reached on singles. Dakota Mills came in and got the final six outs – four on strikeouts – but not after a three-run homer by Mitchell Rogers in the eighth made things interesting.
Still, Mills struck out the side and left the tying run on base in the eighth before setting McNeese down in order in the ninth to record his 11th save of the year and give Mikolajchak his sixth victory.
The Kats got all of their scoring done in the first four innings, primarily off the bat of Harp who touched up McNeese starter Grant Anderson for a pair of homers. From there the Bearkats had several chances to add on, but finished just 1-for-10 on the night with runners in scoring position in stranding 10 runners.
Jack Rogers and Blake Chisolm each had a pair of hits on the night for Sam Houston.
UP NEXT
The Kats return to Joe Miller Ballpark on Saturday afternoon for the middle game of the series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and will be aired on Eleven Sports and the Southland Sports Network. Left-handed pitcher Seth Ballew is set to get the start for the Kats, opposite McNeese lefty Bryan King.
KEY INNINGS
Top 1st
Sam Houston cashed in on a Cowboy mistake in its opening at-bat of the game to stake itself to an early 1-0 lead. Anderson retired each of the first two batters he faced, but then misplayed an infield pop up off the bat of Andrew Fregia that allowed the Bearkat shortstop to move advance to second on the play. One batter later Chisolm made McNeese pay, shooting an RBI single back up the middle to score Fregia.
Top 2nd
After Mikolajchak collected a pair of strikeouts in a perfect first, it took one batter for the Bearkats to add to their lead. Harp led off the inning loudly, connecting on a 1-1 pitch from Anderson that he deposited over the right-field fence for a solo shot that made it 2-0.
Top 4th
Harp caused more damage in the fourth, connecting on a 2-run homer off of Anderson after Hunter Hearn had led off the inning with a sure single to left. The Kats had a chance to add on as singles by Jordan Cannon and Rogers put a pair of runners on, but Anderson was able to work around it, retiring the next three hitters he faced to keep the Kats off the board any further.
Bottom 8th
Sam Houston could not do anything with a double by Rogers in the sixth and squandered runners on the corners in the top of the eighth, but Mikolajchak kept the Kats in front with a pair of scoreless innings behind them. Things did not go so smoothly in the bottom of the eighth, however, as Shane Selman and Dustin Duhon opened up the inning with singles. Mills then entered and promptly struck out Jake Cochran, but Rogers then touched him up for a three-run homer that surged the Cowboys back into the game at 4-3. Brett Whelton followed that up with a double into the right-field corner to put the tying run on base, but Mills followed with strikeouts of both Jacob Strancer and Reid Borque to keep the Kats in front.
Top 9th
The Kats had one more opportunity to add on some insurance in the ninth when Riley McKnight opened up the inning with a single. A walk and a hit batter eventually loaded the bases with two outs, but Aidan Anderson was able to work out of it to give the Cowboys one final chance. But they were no match in the ninth for Mills, who retired the side in order to secure the win.
QUOTABLES
Coach Matt Deggs on …
“That was a heck of an outing by Miko. Anytime your starter gets you into the eighth and he's still out there, that is a great thing. He had a three, four-pitch mix going tonight, pounded the strike zone and mixed up their timing. He never showed them anything the same twice. He punched out 10 through seven, which is a heck of a start.”
Deggs on the offensive performance …
“We did a great job of grinding tonight and getting after a good Friday night starter. They've got good arms over there, but I thought we did a good job of just grinding and grinding. Clayton Harp had a great game for us tonight. If we don't strand a couple then we have a chance to score big. We need to do a better job tomorrow of hitting with runners in scoring position.”
Deggs on when he knew Mikolajchak was working with good stuff on Friday …
“With him getting through the first inning and watching him get quick outs when he wasn't striking guys out, that is always a good sign for him. He was just in the strike zone. His misses weren't out over the plate. He was just tickling the edges and was doing it with two or three different pitches. That is always tough.”
