CORPUS CHRISTI - Preseason Southland Conference favorite Sam Houston State, picked up a much needed 9-5 win over the Islanders at Whataburger Field to close out the 2015 Kleberg Bank College Classic Sunday evening. The Bearkats, desperate for a win after dropping their previous three, used a five-run fifth inning to pull away.
Lukas Hermanson (C), Brett Burner (2B), Jordan Lee (OF) and Matt Danton (P) each garnered All-Tournament honors for their performances during the Kleberg Bank College Classic. Mizzou pitcher Reggie McClain earned MVP honors.
Dylan Ebbs tossed seven and a third innings, allowing five runs, four of which were earned while striking out four to pick up the win for the Bearkats.
Junior Justin Perales started things off with a bang for the Islanders, sending a ball deep to left field, picking up his first career homer in an Islanders uniform. Perales finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Sam Houston State answered with two runs in the next frame though, to take a 2-1 advantage. Colt Atwood delivered when the Bearkats (4-3) needed it throughout the tournament, and in the third, sending a double down the right field line that was just out of reach of Perales at first. SHSU's Hayden Simerly who walked and Travis Lee scored on the play.
The Islanders went idle from e third inning all the way through the seventh, with just two hits during the stretch. That changed in the eighth though. Casey Thomas, who finished 3-for-5 on the day with a run and a stolen base, led off the frame with a single. That brought senior Tyler Ware to the plate. The lefty turned on the first pitch he saw, sending it long gone to the opposite field.
In the next at bat, Kyle Danford answered with his second home run in as many days, putting the one-one pitch out to right field for a solo shot. Cody Clarke later scored on a fielders-choice to pull the Islanders within four.
C. Thomas led off the ninth with another single, followed by a stolen base to put himself in scoring position. Two batters later, Danford reached base after being hit by an errant pitch by SHSU's Jordan Church, but Church was able to shut the door on an Islanders comeback forcing a groundout to end the game.
The Bearkats scored a majority of their offense in the fifth inning, which included four walks and five hits. Jacob Dorris, the Islanders usual closer was brought in to stop the bleeding, but Sam Houston had already done its damage. The Bearkats scored their first three runs of the frame on a three-run homer from Spence Rahm.
That ended the day for Islanders right-hander Devin Skapura, who took the loss after going four and a third innings. Kaleb Keith took over for Skapura, allowing two hits before being replaced by Kevin Landgrebe. Langrebe issued three consecutive walks before Dorris entered and finished the frame.
AJ Flores pitched one and two-third innings to close out the game for the Islanders and did not allow a hit.
The Islanders will be back in action on Friday when they take on UT Arlington in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at Chapman Field. The Islanders and Mavericks will faceoff again at 2 p.m. on Saturday before wrapping up the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
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