Bearkats MBB And WBB Aims For Strong Finish
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
With two weeks to go in the regular season, every game is important as both the Bearkat men’s and women’s basketball teams battle to position themselves for the Southland Conference tournament.
Sam Houston hosts Nicholls State Thursday at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum with the women tipping at 5:30 p.m. and the men following at approximately 8:45 p.m.
The Bearkat men (14-13, 7-7) rank fifth in the Southland race, one game behind Southeastern Louisiana.
Each of the top four seeds receive a first round bye in the Southland Tournament to be held at the Ferrell Center in Katy March 13-16.
Nicholls (7-18, 6-8) is a game behind the Kats in the standings.
The Colonels defeated Sam Houston 70-67 in overtime in their first meeting in Thibodaux, La., on Jan. 26.
Sam Houston has been getting solid scoring performances from James Thomas who has put up double figure performances in each of the last four games including 26 points at Central Arkansas.
While the Sam Houston women are one-half game behind league leader Oral Roberts in the standings, the Bearkat women hold their Southland fate in their own hands.
If the Bearkats can win their final four games, the women can do no worse than tie for the 2013 Southland Conference women’s regular season title and assure themselves of at least a top two seed.
Seniors Britni Martin, Sequeena Thomas and Chanice Smith account for 28.9 of Sam Houston’s 60.9 points per game.
Sam Houston defeated the Nicholls women in Thibodaux 70-63 earlier this year.
The Bearkats lead the all-time series with Nicholls 30 victories to 18 and have won the last four meetings in a row.
Fans may order tickets to the doubleheader on-line at www.gobearkats.com or call the ticket office at (936) 294-1729.
The women’s game will be broadcast live on 104.5 FM The Hits.
The mens’ game will air on KSAM 101.7 FM.
Bearkats Finds Rhythm To Take Series From Warhawks
By Cheval John
Sam Houston State took the weekend series against the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks with a 4-2 win on Saturday and a 7-3 victory on Sunday.
The Bearkat pitchers neutralized UL-Monroe’s dangerous hitter Corben Green in the rubber match as he went 0-3.
Green had a .500 batting average with three RBI’s in the first two games of the series.
“The key with Green is getting him with two strikes because he will chase a breaking ball if you get him there,” coach David Pierce said. “We froze him in his third at-bat because he was looking for the breaking ball. … I believe he was guessing because we were pitching ahead of him all day.
Green hit a two-out, RBI double that scored Dalton Herrington from third base to make it 1-0.
The Bearkats (3-4) had opportunities in the second and third innings to get on the board, but both times, they left runners on the base pads.
The third time was the charm as the Bearkats finally capitalized on their opportunity as they exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead thanks to a pair of RBI singles by Ryan Farney, Luke Plucheck, Colt Atwood, and Carter Burgess.
Spence Rahm had a great series as he was the catalyst of getting things going for the Bearkats.
Rahm started the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Kevin Miller singled. to put runners on first and second.
He scored on Farney’s single.
Green’s RBI singled in the top of the sixth cut the lead to 4-2.
The Warhawks (4-3) had an opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead in the top of the seventh inning and ninth innings.
Though Chris Dudley struck out, a pass ball allowed him to reach first to lead off the seventh.
He advanced to second on another pass ball.
Kodie Tidwell issued with a walk to put runners on first and second with the possibility of tying the game.
David Abdalla followed with a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.
But starting pitcher Cody Dickson, who went the distance for the Kats and got his first win of the season, settled down and got the next three outs (strike out, foul out and ground out) to get out of the jam.
Dudley hit an infield single to lead off the ninth.
Dickson got Tidwell hit into a fielder’s choice and Abdalla to fly out for two outs, the Bearkats was not out of the woods as pinched-hitter Les Alexander got a base hit to put the tying run on first base.
But that as far as they would get as Dickson struck out Justin Fuller to preserve the win.
“I just went up there and threw strikes and let my defense do as much as possible,” Dickson said. “Overall, it was a great game and thankful to finally get another win.”
The Bearkats maintained their moment in the rubber game as they closed out the Warhawks 7-3.
The Kats was patient at the plate and fought off some pitches that allowed them to get to starting pitcher Trey Setzer, who lasted only 1 1/3 innings and suffered the loss.
“Our guys did a good job of staying in the middle of the field,” Pierce said.
SHSU was able to strike first in the bottom of the first inning when Carter Burgess scored from second on a throwing error by Tidwell to take a 1-0 lead.
Luke Plucheck’s RBI single to left field in the bottom of the second gave the Bearkats a 2-0 lead.
Ryan O’Hearn, who went three for four with an RBI, led off the inning with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a pass ball and scored on Plucheck’s single.
The Warhawks responded in the top of the third inning when Jeff Fuller scored to cut the lead to 2-1 first run on a throwing error by catching Jesse Plumlee after trying to get Brandon Alexander at first when he laid down a bunt.
Fuller led off the top of the third with a single and advanced to second on a pass ball which allowed Alexander to advance to second.
He went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Logan Fiasco.
It seemed as if UL-Monroe was going to tie the game, but starting pitcher Andrew Godail, who went six innings with seven strike outs and got his first win of the year, settled down and struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
The Bearkats would give Godail some breathing room after they exploded for three runs in the bottom of the third to increase their lead to 5-1 thanks to a two-run double by Spence Rahm and an RBI single by Ryan O’Hearn.
The Warhawks cut the Bearkat lead to 5-3 in the top of the sixth thanks to a Judd Edward’s RBI double and David Abdalla’s RBI single.
UL-Monroe trailed the entire game, but they were not going to go down without a fight.
In the top of the seventh inning, Brandon Alexander led off with a double.
After reliever Jordan Church got Tidwell to ground out for the first out, Azar made up for the error and threw out Alexander at third to get the second out.
A few pitches later, Church struck out Logan Fiasco to get out of the jam.
SHSU added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to increased their lead to 7-3 and held on for the victory.
Bearkats Takes Two In Second Day of Texas Shootout
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The Sam Houston softball team defeated Texas State 9-6 and Texas Tech 4-0 in action Saturday at the Texas Shootout at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos.
In the victory over the Bobcats, three home runs accounted for eight of the Kats’ nine tallies. Hillary Adams hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Kim Damian blasted a two-run homer in the fifth and, with the score tied 5-5, Cecilia Castillo’s three-run home run in the eighth was the game-winner.
A pair of unearned runs helped the Sam Houston cause in the win over the Red Raiders.
In the fourth inning, Shelbi Tucker’s sacrifice fly and a throwing error by the Texas Tech center fielder brought in two scores. Adams reached first on an error and later scored on the throwing miscue. Ashley Isbell walked, advanced to third on the error and scored on the sacrifice fly.
Adams smashed a two-run double in the fifth inning.
Shelby Lancaster was the winning pitcher in both contests, pitching the final three innings of the Texas State win and throwing a complete game shutout in the second. Lancers is 5-3 in the pitching circle for Sam Houston this year.
The Bearkats, who upped their season record to 7-8 Saturday, will play Texas Tech again at 10 a.m. Sunday morning to complete play in the tournament.
Bearkats Falls Short In Non-Conference Game Against Eastern Washington
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Cheney, Washington — Paul Baxter, James Thomas and Marquel McKinney all scored in double figures for the Bearkats as Eastern Washington defeated Sam Houston State 81-76 in a men’s non-conference basketball game Saturday afternoon.
After an early two point lead, Eastern Washington rolled to a 41-25 margin at intermission.
But the Bearkats roared back to out-score EWU 51-40 in the second period.
Sam Houston cut the Eastern Washington margin to two points,, 76-74, with 34 seconds remaining but could come no closer as EWU went 5-of-5 from the free throw line in the last half minute.
Eastern Washington set a Big Sky Conference record with 16 blocked shots.
Baxter scored 19 points and Thomas totaled 12.
Both pulled down seven rebounds. McKinney added 10 points.
Collin Chiverton led Eastern Washington with 20 points.
Sam Houston returns to Southland Conference action Thursday night, hosting Nicholls State at 7:45 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
SFA Outlasts Rival SHSU To Claim SLC Track Title
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Both the Sam Houston men’s and women’s teams finished as runners-up to Stephen F. Austin at the 2013 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The event was held Friday and Saturday at the Mosier Center on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.
Led by Lygia Foreman who medaled in three events and Alyssa Dooley who took gold in a pair of races, the Bearkat women totaled 117.5 points.
Stephen F. Austin won its fifth consecutive women’s indoor league title with 173 points.
Charles White, who tied as the meet’s men’s top scorer, powered the Bearkat men to 119.5 points, just 4.5 points behind SFA.
Foreman, a sophomore from Fort Worth Eastern Hills, won the 400 meters (54.74), anchored Sam Houston’s winning 4×400 relay and placed third in the 200 meters (24.67).
She finished third among the women’s leading point scorers for the meet.
Alyssa Dooley, a senior from Flower Mound Marcus, won the mile run (4:58.71) and anchored the Bearkats distance medley champion relay (12:09.53).
Dooley placed fifth in the women’s point standings with 18.
Other members of the 4×400 squad were Simbi George, Ruth Amaku and Taylor Sanders.
The first three runners for the distance medley were Johanna Saellinew, Tonicia Wimberley and Nicole Aponte.
Morgan Davis produced Sam Houston’s first gold medal of the indoor event Friday as she successfully defended her 2012 indoor pentathlon crown.
Davis totaled 3,632 points in the women’s multi-events.
White won both the long jump (24’ 6.25”) and the triple jump (51’ 8.25”).
His 20 points tied him with Jon Arthur of SFA and David Rooney of McNeese for men’s high scorer honors.
Matt Viverette and Matt Johnson each brought home a gold medal.
Viverette won the 60 meter hurdles (8.01) while Johnson took first place in the men’s hepthalon (4,164 points).
Danielle Dumas was the runner-up in the women’s 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.76 seconds.
Three other Bearkat women earned third place medals.
Ashley Jenkins posted a 56’ 10.75” mark in the weight throw, Shelbie Zotyka pole vaulted 12’ 9.5” and Allyson Pettit was third in the pentathlon.
Viverette joined Clint Anders, Freddy Arellano and Karl Schreider as members of SHSU’s runner-up distance medley relay (10:11.18).
De’Quad Binder was the runner-up in the 800 meters (1:54.18).
Trey Jones, Leroy Harris, Rodney Jones and Brian Helaire posted a 3:17.61 time in the 4×400 relay to finish second.
Third place finishers for the Bearkat men were Karique Stephen in the triple jump (49’ 6.5”) and Rodney Jones in the 400 meters (48.36).
All individuals who finish first, second or third in an event earn All-Southland Conference honors.