HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats fell behind early and a ninth-inning rally came up just short in a 9-7 loss to Louisiana Tech in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium. 

LA Tech (14-10, 2-1 CUSA) scored five times in the first three innings and played from ahead all day long before eventually holding on after the Bearkats (7-17, 1-2 CUSA) scored three runs in their final at-bat and ultimately had the game-tying run on base.  

Ty Marthiljohni had a pair of hits and RBI, reaching base four times in the game and drawing his second walk of the day to start the Kats' rally in the ninth. Blake Brown also had two hits and two RBI as part of a 9-hit offensive attack. 

But the Bulldogs hammered three homers of their own, including two from Garrison Berkley, to slug their way to the win. Freshman righty Brooks Roberson got his second win of the year after logging 5.0 innings and handing it over to relievers Logan Forsythe and Blake Hooks. 

The Kats, meanwhile, used six arms to navigate nine innings, with starter Felix Schlede taking the loss after allowing four runs and only lasting into the second inning.  

Sam Houston was down as much as six runs going into the bottom of the fifth, but struck for three runs thanks to a Bulldog error and RBI from Brown and Hunter Autrey. But LA Tech responded with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings on an RBI single from Zeb Ruddell and a solo homer from Thaxton Berch to take a 9-4 lead into the ninth.  

The Kats made it interesting in the ninth when Jace Martinez, Brown and Ryan Franden all delivered RBI singles to cut the lead to just two. But Hooks was able to ring up Addison Smith for his third strikeout of the inning with a pair of runners on base to secure the win.  

UP NEXT  
The Kats now have a big week away from home upcoming, starting with a midweek trip to UFCU Disch-Falk Field to face nationally-ranked Texas on Tuesday night on SEC Network+. The week then continues when Sam Houston makes its first-ever trip to Bowling Green, Ky., for a weekend series at WKU beginning on Friday.