HUNTSVILLE – Ryan Peterson struck out six in 7.0 innings and Jace Martinez delivered a late 2-run homer to push the Sam Houston Bearkats to a 7-4 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon, evening the weekend series at Don Sanders Stadium.
The win snaps an 8-game losing streak to the Bulldogs (13-10, 1-1 CUSA) which dated back to 2007 and gives the Kats (7-16, 1-1 CUSA) their fourth win in their last five outings overall.
Peterson made the move to Saturday for the first time this season and became the first Bearkat starter in 2025 to earn a victory with a season-long effort, lasting 7.0 innings before handing it off to Danny Valadez for the final 2.0 frames.
Peterson struck out six total hitters, including punching out the side in the fifth after allowing all three of his runs in the top of the fourth. That inning cut into what was a 5-0 Bearkat lead, which was built on a 4-run first and another score in the second against LA Tech starter Luke Cooley.
Ryan Franden delivered a 2-run single in the first and Ty Marthiljohni had an RBI double to highlight the Kats' highest-scoring first inning of the season. An inning later Martinez worked his way around for the fifth score of the day reaching on a single and eventually scoring on a stolen base and a Bulldog throwing error.
But his biggest swing of the day came in the bottom of the seventh when the sophomore added a pair of key insurance runs by depositing a 3-2 pitch from reliever Nate Crider over the left-center field fence to push the Bearkat lead to 7-3.
That proved huge when things got dicey in the ninth. The Bulldogs saw the first three hitters reach base, cutting the lead to 7-4 on an RBI double by Trey Hawsey; however, Valadez halted things right there by retiring the final three hitters he faced, the last two by strikeout, to secure the win.
UP NEXT
Sam Houston will go for a weekend series win over the Bulldogs on Sunday at Don Sanders Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for noon and it can be heard on the Bearkat Sports Network and locally on KSHU 90.5 FM
