LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Sam Houston Bearkats scored six times in the final three innings, erasing what was once a 3-run deficit, but NM State's Damone Hale had the final say with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Aggies a 7-6 win at Askew Field.
Sam Houston (13-7, 2-1 CUSA) had trailed 5-2 entering the eighth inning but drew to within a run by plating a pair in the eighth and then tied it up with a run off of the bat of Jeffrey David in the ninth. One batter later Hunter Autrey blasted a solo home run of his own to put the Kats up 6-5, just three outs from a series sweep.
But NM State (10-10, 1-2 CUSA) wasn't done, and got in business when Logan Gallina hit a pinch-hit triple with one out in the inning. Two pitches later pinch runner Jadon Arakaki tied it up on a passed ball and two batters later Hale launched his fourth home run of the year, and only hit of the day, out to center field to walk it off for the home team.
The loss went to Chandler David, dropping him to 1-3 on the year, after he had entered for the ninth inning. Gavi Coldiron got the start and struck out three while allowing two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings before handing it off to Logan Hewitt in the seventh. He went on to strike out four in 1.2 innings of work, but did surrender a 3-run homer to Keith Jones II in the seventh which put NMSU ahead 5-2 at the time.
The win went to the Aggies' Hayden Lewis, his first of the season after he tossed the final 2.0 innings.
For the second straight day the Aggies scratched the scoreboard in the opening inning when Jones led off with a single and eventually crossed the plate on a wild pitch from Coldiron.
The Bearkats, meanwhile, had runners in scoring position in each of the next three frames but were unable to cash in. NM State's Nick Gore then tacked on a run to the Aggie tally with his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot to center field with one out in the third.
It stayed right there until action picked up in the seventh with the Kats loading the sacks against reliever Saul Soto with just one out in the inning. It looked as though he may get out of the frame unscathed after getting Malachi Lott to fly out to left field, but Jeffrey David followed by lining a 2-run single into right field to knot the game at 2-2.
But NM State had an answer in the bottom half of the inning. After Coldiron got the first batter the Kats went to Hewitt out of the pen, but a pair of singles by Sheehan O'Connor and Romeo Ballesteros set it up for Jones who blasted a 1-1 pitch out to center field to give the Aggies a 5-2 lead.
Lewis then entered in the eighth for NM State and issued walks to both Lane Brewster and Caleb Cotton, and when an errant throw on a double-steal attempt went awry, two runs came home to draw the Kats to within 5-4.
Sam Houston then immediately went to work in the ninth, getting runners on the corners with nobody out after Janek's third walk of the day and a single by Lott. David then hit into a double play, which scored Janek to tie it at 5-5. Autrey then followed that up by blasting a solo homer out to right field for what would be Sam Houston's only lead of the day.
UP NEXT
It will be a busy week upcoming for the Kats as they return home for six consecutive games, including five this week. It all begins Tuesday when Baylor comes to Don Sanders Stadium, followed by a Wednesday matchup with Northwestern State. Those games prelude the weekend when nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist arrives for a CUSA series.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Walker Janek's third-inning single extended his season-opening hit streak to 20 games. He is still the lone Kat to have hit safely in all 20 games this year and has hit in 24 consecutive games overall, dating back to the end of the 2023 season.
- His hit streak is only the third hit streak of 20 or more games within a single season in program history.
- Gavi Coldiron's start was the fourth time this season he's gone at least 5.0 innings. He has yet to allow more than two runs in an outing and has exited either tied or with the lead each time.
