JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The big innings were too much for the Sam Houston Bearkats to overcome on Saturday night in a 21-10 loss in eight innings to Jax State at Jim Case Stadium. 

The win clinches the weekend series for the Gamecocks (26-17, 9-8 CUSA) with one game remaining to be played on Sunday.  

Sam Houston (8-35, 2-15 CUSA) used five pitchers on the night and was off to a good start after starter Ryan Peterson put up consecutive shutout innings to open the night. He finished with four strikeouts, but was tagged for eight runs before ultimately taking a no-decision. Freshman reliever Connor Mondey took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the year after allowing three runs in 1.1 innings of relief.  

Ty Marthiljohni led an offensive attack which included 11 hits and 10 runs, finishing with his third 3-hit game of the season and a homer short of the cycle. He had a pair of RBI, as did Parker Blackman, while Brady Christensen hit the Kats' second grand slam of the season in the top of the fourth. Jace Martinez also singled twice and swiped three bases.  

The Kats struck early with two runs apiece in the second and third innings, with Peterson punching out three in a pair of scoreless frames of his own; however, JSU took advantage of a pair of Bearkat errors in the bottom of the third for six runs for the first of four lead changes in the game at 6-4 after three.  

But an inning later the Kats responded in a big way when Christensen blasted a 431-foot grand slam directly down the right-field line, his sixth homer of the year and the second slam for SHSU. That lead was short-lived, though with JSU immediately knotting it up an inning later with two more scores of their own.  

The teams continued to trade the lead back and forth until the Gamecocks finally broke the game open for good with seven runs in the bottom of the seventh. They closed it out one inning later on a walk-off, 3-run homer by Brady Thomas. 

UP NEXT  
The Kats will close the series with the Gamecocks on Sunday in a game moved up to an 11:30 a.m. first pitch. The game is set to be aired on ESPN+.