HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston came out swinging to take game one of a Western Athletic Conference series with a 12-2 run-rule victory over UT Arlington at Don Sanders Stadium on Friday.
The Bearkats (30-20 overall, 19-6 WAC) now hold a four-game lead over the third-place Mavericks (25-23, 15-10) in the race for the WAC regular-season championship. Second-place Grand Canyon still trails Sam Houston by one following a victory at UTRGV with five games left to play.
Coltin Atkinson tossed seven innings and allowed just two runs on six hits with five strikeouts including one looking to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win. He is now 8-2 on the season.
The Bearkats took a 3-0 lead in the first inning when
Joe Redfield and
Justin Wishkoski began the frame with back-to-back singles.
Tyler Davis followed with a rocket to right center field for a two-run triple and scored on a groundout by
Carlos Contreras.
Wishkoski walked and Davis singled to left to begin a three-run third inning. Both advanced on a groundout then came around to score on a throwing error following a ground ball by
Jake Tatom, who would later come home on a wild pitch for a 6-0 lead.
UTA finally got on the board with a solo home run in the fourth, but Sam Houston broke it open with four runs in the fifth.
Walker Janek led off with a double and scored on a another by
Clayton Chadwick to make it 7-1.
Easton Loyd and Redfield both hit RBI singles, and Loyd would also score on a wild pitch.
The Mavericks got a run back in the sixth, and the Kats once again answered to put the run-rule into effect with two runs in the bottom of the frame highlighted by an RBI triple by
Myles Jefferson.
Game two of the series is set for 3 p.m. Saturday.
