HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State baseball team kicked off a new season and a new era in style on Friday night, shutting out Saint Mary's, 4-0, at Don Sanders Stadium.
Playing under first-year head coach
Jay Sirianni for the first time, the Kats (1-0) handed their former pitching coach his first career victory behind timely hitting and clutch pitching. The Gaels (0-1), meanwhile, left a dozen runners on base and finished the night just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Much of that was due to the 1-2 pitching combo of
Tyler Davis and
Cole Wesneski for the Bearkats. Davis, making his SHSU debut, did just what he was asked to do in logging 5.0 innings on 81 pitches to earn the win. He walked just one batter and allowed four hits, and pitched out of big jams in the third and fourth frames.
He struck out SMC's Gabe Giosso with two runners in scoring position in the third and then left the bases loaded in the fourth before handing the ball off to Wesneski to start the sixth. The junior took it from there, cruising through three innings before running into some trouble in the ninth.
The Gaels, down 4-0 in their last at-bat used a hit batter, single and the third Bearkat error of the night to load the bases with just one out; however, Wesneski was able to get a key ground ball by Ryan Novis to keep SMC off the board and then struck out Giosso on four pitches to close out the game.
Offensively, the Kats had just six hits, but were able to take advantage of opportunities at key times. Gaels' starter Carlos Lomeli was good, striking out seven hitters on 77 pitches through just 6.0 innings, but hit three batters, two of which scored in a three-run fourth inning.
Corbin Vines led the Kats with three hits in the game, including the second of back-to-back doubles by the Kats in the eighth inning, driving in
Colton Cowser to make it a 4-0 advantage.
Jack Rogers drove in the game's first run in the fourth, while
Bryce Holmes also delivered an RBI single to cap that frame.
Sam Houston State will look to clinch the series against the Gaels on Saturday at The Don. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. and can be followed on Statbroadcast and @BearkatsBSB on Twitter.
The Kats are set to throw left-handed sophomore
Matt Dillard, while the Gaels are scheduled to throw lefty Ty Madrigal.
