The HBU Huskies hit three home runs and scored five unanswered runs to eliminate the top-seeded Sam Houston State Bearkats from the Southland Conference Tournament, 6-4, on Friday afternoon at Constellation Field.
The Bearkats (39-20) staked starter Riley Gossett to an early 4-1 lead with a four-spot in the second inning against HBU (28-29) starter Brady Batten, but reliever Marshall Herron entered in the third inning and kept the Huskies in it. The HBU offense then delivered a four-spot of their own on the strength of home runs by Jake Pulcheon and Jake Scott to go up 5-4 before adding another run in the eighth.
The loss brings to an end the Kats’ quest for a third straight SLC Tournament title and advances HBU into the semifinals against New Orleans on Friday night.
Gossett was brilliant through 5.1 innings, despite allowing a home run to Tyler Depreta-Johnson to lead off the game. He would hold the Huskies to just one more until the sixth and tying his career high with seven strikeouts before HBU got to him for three consecutive hits, including a game-tying three-run home run by Pulcheon.
Nick Mikolajchak took the loss for Sam Houston after allowing the go-ahead home run to Scott after entering in relief. He would punch out a pair and not allow a hit in 1.2 innings while Dakota Mills closed out his career with the final 2.0 frames, allowing a run on a pair of hits.
Riley McKnight and Jaxxon Grisham each finished with a pair of hits, while Clayton Harp had a hit and drew two of six walks by Bearkat hitters. McKnight would reach in each of his first three plate appearances and pick up three RBI.
For HBU, Herron moved to 3-3 after bridging things from Batten to closer JT Newton with 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just three hits.