HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats never could find the big hit it was looking for on Saturday, but in the end all it took was a ball in play and speed on the bases for the Kats to find the win column for the second straight day.
Sophomore Jake Tatom drove in Caleb Cotton with the winning run with a ground ball in the bottom of the ninth to give the Bearkats a 2-1 walk-off win and clinch the weekend series over Oklahoma State on Saturday at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Kats will go for the sweep of the Cowboys on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m. behind starter
Miles Hellums. OSU has yet to declare a starter. The game will be aired on ESPN+ with Carlos Zimmermann on the call.
Sam Houston had just five hits on the day, but got brilliant pitching from the trio from Marshall Wales, Wyatt Tucker and Chandler David to stay within striking distance before tying it up in the seventh and winning it in the ninth.
A bases-loaded walk to Jace Martinez had tied the game up in the seventh, and a leadoff walk to Cotton got the Kats started in the ninth. Cotton quickly swiped second and moved to third on a grounder, prompting OSU head coach Josh Holiday to intentionally walk both Lane Brewster and Martinez to load the sacks for Tatom with one away.
The sophomore did what he needed to, putting the ball in play on a grounder to third base, allowing Cotton to speed home with the game winner.
David picked up the win for the Kats by pitching a scoreless top of the ninth, but it was the combo of Wales and Tucker who got Sam Houston to that point. Wales made the start and punched out four in 4.0 innings without allowing an earned run and Tucker followed in his Bearkat debut with 4.0 scoreless relief innings, allowing just two hits and striking out a pair.
Reliever Robert Cranz took the loss for OSU, pitching 1.1 innings before issuing a walk to Cotton to open the ninth.
The Cowboys were able to strike first in the opening frame, taking advantage of a bad-hop double and a Bearkat error to go up 1-0 on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Wulfert. Wales was able to avoid any further damage and did so again in the third and the fourth, stranding three total runners to keep the Kats in the game.
Meanwhile, OSU starter Brian Holiday was able to do the same for the Cowboys, working around a leadoff double by Malachi Lott in the second and a tricky situation in the sixth where the Kats got the first two hitters on base before coming up empty. Holiday left with the lead after 6.0 innings, punching out four and not allowing a run on just two hits.
Tucker entered in relief in the fifth and put up three consecutive zeros before the Kats were able to draw even in the home half of the seventh. A sure single by Jeffrey David started the rally with one out, and after a fielder's choice, walks to Blake Brown and Lane Brewster loaded the bases and forced the Cowboys to turn to Robert Cranz out of the pen. But the OSU reliever misfired four times and issued another walk, this to Jace Martinez, which forced in pinch runner Cotton with the tying run.
OSU threatened do some damage in the ninth when Aidan Meola gave them something to work with by singling with one out; however, David punched out Cowboy DH Kollin Ritchie before Walker Janek gunned down pinch runner Jaxson Crull trying to swipe second base to end the inning and set the Kats up for the win.
GAME NOTES
- Chandler David picked up the win for SHSU, upping his career record to 7-0 for the Orange & White.
- All three runs scored without the benefit of a hit, coming on a sacrifice fly, bases-loaded walk and a fielder's choice.
- The Kats have now clinched the series vs OSU, making them 2-0 in series vs Big 12 teams at Don Sanders Stadium.
- Bearkat pitching has been stellar through two games, allowing just three runs to OSU through two games with 16 strikeouts and five walks allowed.
