HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats erased a 3-run deficit and got a walk-off infield single by Hunter Autrey to take the series finale, 6-5, from No. 15 DBU on Sunday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Kats (16-9, 3-3 CUSA) trailed 3-0 after the top of the first inning but starting pitcher Michael Watson rallied to shut down the Patriots (19-4, 2-1 CUSA) through the sixth to keep Sam Houston in it. He took a no-decision but finished with a quality start after striking out four and walking just one in his 6.0 innings.
Wyatt Tucker struck out four in 2.0 bridge innings of relief, while Logan Hewitt got his first win of the year, needing just three pitches to get three outs in the ninth.
Still, it took until the ninth for the homestanding Bearkats to dispatch the Patriots, an inning that started with Walker Janek's third walk of the game to put the winning run on base. A single by Malachi Lott followed to put runners on the corners and prompt DBU coach Dan Heefner to intentionally walk Jeffrey David to load the sacks with nobody out for Autrey.
Autrey then coaxed the third pitch he saw from Conner Mackay back over the mound, just far enough for Janek to beat the throw home with the winning run.
The infield hit was the first of the day for Autrey and the 10th for the Bearkats with Lane Brewster, Lott and David finishing with two hits apiece. Lott's first hit came in the first inning, an opposite-field 2-run homer which surged the Kats back into the fray while David's second hit came with two outs in the seventh and gave SHSU a 5-4 lead at the time.
UP NEXT
The Kats will host Rice at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday before heading east for a weekend series at Liberty, beginning Thursday at Worthington Field. First pitch vs the Owls is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday with the game to be streamed on ESPN+.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The win snaps a 7-game losing streak for the Kats to DBU dating back to the 2018 season.
- The win is the first win over a ranked opponent at The Don since the Kats beat No. 20 Texas State, 12-9, on March 29, 2022.
- The win is the highest ranked win of any kind since beating No. 4 Oklahoma State at Globe Life Park on Feb. 22, 2022.
- The win is the first win over a ranked opponent in a weekend series at The Don since the Kats swept No. 25 Oklahoma in 2016.
- With the win, the Kats avoided being swept at home for the first time since Texas A&M-Corpus Christi swept SHSU in the final weekend of the 2011 season.
- Walker Janek walked three times and scored three runs. He has now reached base in all 25 games of 2024 and 32 straight games dating back to the end of the 2023 season.
- Janek also threw out the only attempted base stealer of the day for DBU and has now thrown out eight of 15 attempted swipers on the year. Bearkat opponents do not have a stolen a base with Janek behind the plate since March 5 at Houston, a span of 12 games.
- Michael Watson's 6.0 innings was a season best, surpassing his 5.0 innings of work at Houston on March 5.
