Kats bow out of SLC tournament

Thursday, May 23

Sugar Land

12:00 PM

31-25

UIW

36-21

Sam Houston State

Incarnate Word

Kats bow out of SLC tournament

5/23/2019 5:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: GoBearkats.com

SUGAR LAND - A bloop RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth inning ended the Sam Houston State baseball team's season as Incarnate Word walked off with a 3-2 victory at Constellation Field in an elimination game at the Southland Conference Tournament Thursday.

The top-seeded Bearkats (31-25) were knocked out of the tournament in two games for the first time since 1994. Eighth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi topped Sam Houston State 2-1 in the opener Wednesday afternoon.

The Bearkats trailed 2-1 for most of Thursday's game until they rallied to tie it in the eighth on back-to-back doubles by senior Hunter Hearn and sophomore Jack Rogers.

A stroke of bad luck in the ninth cost Sam Houston the game.

UIW's No. 7 hitter Shea Gutierrez, who entered the game hitting .236, led off with a single, his third hit of the day, and stole second base with one out. He came around to score when freshman Michael Garza flared a ball over first base into right field that just missed going foul for a single to end it.

The Bearkats got on the board right out of the gate. Hearn poked a single through the middle to score freshman Colton Cowser, who reached on a fielder's choice with one out in the first.

BSB: @BearkatSbsb get on the board first, as Hearn singles home Cowser. 1-0 SHSU over @UIWbaseball, mid 1st.

💻 https://t.co/5qomLC9wT5
📱📺 @espn apps #EatEmUpKats #TheWord #SouthlandStrong pic.twitter.com/ikNeqTQYu2
— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) May 23, 2019

The Cardinals (36-21) tied the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Ryan Gonzalez led off with a single, and sophomore Ryan Flores reached on a catcher's interference call. Both runners advanced on a flyout to center field, and Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch by Kats' starter Nick Mikolajchak, just his second of the season.

The Bearkats left two runners stranded in the fourth after a pair of singles by Rogers and freshman Diego Davila, and again in the fifth when Cowser singled and senior Clayton Harp walked.

Sam Houston just couldn't find a hole until Roger's double in the eighth as Cardinals' starter Bernie Martinez squashed the previous scoring threats. He got a huge assist in the seventh from Garza who made a sliding catch in right field to rob Cowser of extra bases and turned it into a double play by throwing out senior Jordan Cannon trying to get back to first base.

BSB: Hearn and Rogers deliver back-to-back doubles. @bearkatsbsb ties game 2-2 vs. @UIWBaseball. Top 8th, 2 out on ESPN+.

💻 https://t.co/5qomLC9wT5
📱📺 @espn apps #EatEmUpKats #TheWord #SouthlandStrong pic.twitter.com/o6jr7UxHuY
— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) May 23, 2019

UIW took the lead at 2-1 in the fifth when senior Eddie Gonzalez ripped an RBI double into the right-field corner.

Mikolajchak was solid on the mound for seven innings. He gave up one earned run and finished with seven strikeouts. Sophomore Cole Wesneski pitched a perfect eighth but took the loss after giving up the run in the ninth to fall to 1-2.

Sam Houston State left nine runners on base.

End 2
SHSU 1 | UIW 0

Miko Ks the side with Ks of Smith, Thomas and Rogers to strand a man on the bases.

Cowser, McKnight and Harp coming to the plate. #EatEmUpKats

📊 https://t.co/shLH2kEwon
🖥 https://t.co/yj9j5YfBaU
🎙 https://t.co/cE0ezeY0mh pic.twitter.com/wZzPqJ9qJA
— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) May 23, 2019

Opening statement by Matt Deggs following today's loss in the Southland Baseball Tournament. pic.twitter.com/hU5ta9ODnn
— BearkatSportsNetwork (@BearkatVid) May 24, 2019