Kats get offensive, blast Rice 12-4

Friday, March 5

Houston

11:00 AM

2-4

Rice

3-5

Sam Houston

Rice

Photo by: Jade Salinas

Kats get offensive, blast Rice 12-4

3/5/2021 3:08:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

HOUSTON – The Sam Houston offense came alive on Friday morning as the Bearkats blasted Rice, 12-4, to kick off the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park.

The Kats (2-4) put an end to a 3-game losing skid in resounding fashion, scoring in six separate innings with six hitters finishing with multi-hit games. Gavin Johnson led everyone with a career-high four RBI on a pair of hits, while Anthony MacKenzie smashed his first career home run.

In all, Sam Houston finished with a dozen hits and even walked seven times. Three of those free passes came from Colton Cowser who reached base in five of six trips to the plate, adding a double and a single. Corbin Vines had his first 3-hit game as a Bearkat, while Christian Smith had a pair of hits and an RBI. Jack Rogers also had two hits and two RBI in addition to two runs scored.

All that came in support of starter Tyler Davis who looked outstanding in his second outing of the year. Davis struck out five and did not walk a batter thru 6.0 innings for his second win of the year, only allowing a pair of runs on a 2-run homer by Guy Galiday in the fourth inning.

Pretty good day for TD.

He punches out a pair in the 6th, including this no-doubter of Garibay.

Kats taking a 7-2 lead over Rice to the 7th. #EatEmUpKats

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— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) March 5, 2021

Steven Beard and Lance Lusk came on to throw the final 3.0 frames, striking out a combined five hitters while completing a game that saw the pitching staff go without issuing a free pass.

The Kats did their early damage with two outs against Rice starter Blake Brogdon, striking first on an RBI single by Vines in the top of the second inning and one inning later tacked on two more scores on an RBI double by Rogers and a 2-out single by Johnson.

A 1-out double by Clayton Chadwick is followed by a 2-out RBI single from Corbin Vines.

Kats take an early 1-0 lead on Rice at MMP. #EatEmUpKats

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— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) March 5, 2021

Galiday's homer in the fourth cut the Bearkat lead to 3-2, but one inning later Johnson struck again, doubling to left field past the outstretched glove of Rice's Austin Bulman to get those runs back and increase the lead to 5-2.

The Kats get 'em back!

Johnson now with 3RBI for the game after he pushes the lead back to 5-2 with a 2-run double in the 5th. #EatEmUpKats

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— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) March 5, 2021

Cowser and Johnson teamed up in the bottom half of the inning to keep the score right there as Johnson picked a Cowser throw from center field on a shorthop to tag out Will Karp at the plate to end an Owl scoring threat.

Got 'em!!!

Cowser with the one-hop laser from CF and Johnson picks it to get Karp at home to end the 5th.

Kats up 5-2 as we go to the 6th. #EatEmUpKats

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— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) March 5, 2021

One inning later MacKenzie added on, blasting a 2-run homer out to left-center field to up the lead to 7-2. After a Rice solo homer in the seventh, Sam Houston put it away with four more runs in the eighth on RBI from Blake Faecher, Johnson and Clayton Chadwick.

There it goes!!

Anthony MacKenzie makes halts the convo with a 2-run BLAST to LCF for his first career HR.

Kats up 7-2 on Rice, Mid 6th. #EatEmUpKats

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— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) March 5, 2021

Gimme 2 more!

Faecher makes the Owls pay for intentionally walking Rogers in front of him, singling home 2 runs in the 8th. #EatEmUpKats

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— Sam Houston Baseball (@BearkatsBSB) March 5, 2021

The Bearkats continue the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. vs No. 10 Texas Tech in the Kats' first meeting with the Red Raiders since the 2017 Lubbock Regional.

Matt Dillard will get the start for SHSU against Texas Tech lefty Patrick Montverde. The game can be watched on AT&T SportsNet as well as Astros.com and MLB.com.