Series Sweep For Sam Houston State

By Cheval John

Sam Houston State head coach David Pierce couldn’t ask for a better way to start the season after his squad swept Northern Colorado with a 7-1 victory at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas.

This makes it the first time that the Bearkats started the season at 4-0 under coach Pierce.

Sam Houston got a quality start from red shirt freshman pitcher Sam Odom.

Odom went six strong innings, giving up only a run on 6 hits and got the victory.

The Bearkats got solid pitching from the bullpen as freshman reliever Seth Holbert went two innings while Jordan Church pitched the ninth inning to seal the victory.

Northern Colorado (0-4) could not take advantage of opportunities when it counted as they left 39 men on base for the series.

Eight men were left on in today’s matchup.

The Bears had gotten a hit in each of the first three innings.

One of those innings (second), they had a player in scoring position.

But the stout pitching by Odom was able to neutralized the offense of Northern Colorado that kept them off the scoreboard.

On the other hand, the Bearkats were able to take advantage of their opportunities at the right time.

Hayden Simerly went seven for fifteen with 5 RBIs in the series.

Carter Burgess had a good day with a two for four performance and two RBIs.

Ryan Farney went three for three with an RBI and two runs scored.

Sam Houston struck first in the bottom of the second inning for a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Jake MacWilliam.

Burgess singled with one out in the bottom of the second.

He advanced to second on a balk by starting pitcher Nick Miller, to third on a pass ball and scored on the sacrifice fly.

Finally, the Bears were able to capitalized on their opportunity in the top of the fifth inning when Ryan Yamane hit a two out single that scored Nick Tanner to notch it up at 1.

Tanner hit a one-out single in the top of the fifth and advanced to second on a error by Odom after he tried to pick him off at first.

The Bearkats retook the lead at 2-1 on an infield RBI single by Atwood.
Farney started the rally with a two out single. Plucheck followed with a walk.

Both runners stole second and third, respectively, that put both of them in scoring position.

The Bears had an opportunity to tie the game when Miller hit a one out single and stole second base.

But Northern Colorado couldn’t capitalized as Odom got Ben Vaughn, who went 0-3, and Cody Harrison, who went 2 for 4 to ground out to end the threat.

That allowed the Bearkats to explode for five runs in the bottom of the 6th inning for a 7-1 lead courtesy of a two-run double by pinch hitter, Ryan O’Hearn, an RBI double by Shea Pierce, a RBI single by Farney and a RBI single by Atwood.

The Bearkats aim to keep their win streak alive when they go to Lake Charles and face fellow Southland Conference member, McNeese State tomorrow in a non-conference matchup at 6 p.m.

The Cowboys are currently 3-0 for the season after winning the Lake Area Classic with victories over Southeastern Conference (SEC) member Missouri, Conference USA member Southern Mississippi and Chicago State.