HUNTSVILLE, Texas –Sam Houston State got the bats going early Saturday afternoon and never turned back en route to a 19-1 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Don Sanders Stadium.
Sam Houston State (14-5, 5-0) scored five times in the first two innings to ignite the Bearkats' big day at the plate. The conference front-runner poured in on with an 11-run fifth inning. The massive frame came on just four hits as four walks and another three hit batsmen compounded the damage.
Andrew Fregia, Clayton Harp and Blake Chisolm led the Bearkats with four RBI each. Both Fregia and Harp homered for Sam Houston State in the game. The Bearkats racked up 16 hits as eight of nine starters in the lineup recorded a base knock.
A&M-Corpus Christi (6-13, 0-2) scored its only run of the day in the third inning.
Dan Brokop tripled with one out in the inning and would cross the plate on
Dalton Stark's RBI-ground out a batter later. At the time, it closed the gap to 5-1, but Sam Houston State would add three in the fourth before the 11-run fifth.
The Islanders were limited to seven hits on the day by Seth Ballew and Kyle Backhus. Ballew (1-1) earned the win, working five innings allowing just two hits with five strikeouts. Backhus picked up a four-inning save, surrendering five hits while striking out six.
For the Islanders,
Chris Cooper (1-3) took the loss. The right-hander was forced out early in the second inning after allowing five runs on four hits. As a staff, the Islanders issued 11 walks on the afternoon. Six different arms worked Saturday with
Brian Deaver the lone to not allow a run.
A&M-Corpus Christi will attempt to salvage a game in the series finale slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday afternoon.
