SHSU Sports
Bearkats throw first punch, beat No. 9 Baylor 9-8
Zaleski, Wyatt homer to lead 14-hit parade for streaking SHSU
The Bearkats jumped on Baylor early, then held off a late rally to stretch their current winning streak to eight games Tuesday night.
Sam Houston State scored two runs in each of the first three innings and got a solid start from sophomore pitcher Daniel Nottebart to hand the ninth-ranked Bears a 9-8 setback in a nonconference matchup at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Kats improved to 26-13 on the season, while Baylor dropped to 25-13.
First baseman Nick Zaleski put Sam Houston up 2-0 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field. Center fielder Justin Keithley hit an RBI double in the second and scored on a single by second baseman Braeden Riley.
The Bears yanked starting pitcher Willie Kempf (4-2) to start the third, but it didn’t do any good. SHSU shortstop Jon Reed led off the frame with a single and catcher Mark Wyatt blasted a two-run shot left to make it 6-1.
“I was really proud of them because we came out early and took the ballgame,” Bearkats head coach Mark Johnson said. “When you are playing a ranked team you sometimes come out a little timid and we didn’t do that. We went out there and got them. Our offense stole the show.”
Staked with a 6-0 lead, Nottebart (1-0) was lights out on the mound. He scattered three hits over three innings and finished with two strikeouts.
The only mistake Nottebart made was when he left a pitch up in the zone and Bears right fielder Aaron Miller crushed a solo homer to right to lead off the second inning. But Miller was a tough out Tuesday, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.
“It’s a little tough going through their order because they are a really good hitting ballclub,” Johnson added. “I thought we matched up fine. Nottebart was a good call by coach (Chris) Berry. He started us off. They got the long ball, but he gave us a chance.”
After the Bearkats put two more runs on the board in the fifth thanks to a two-run double by third baseman Ryan Mooney, the Bears finally pieced together a rally in the sixth.
SHSU senior reliever Guillaume Duguay pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth, but ran into trouble with two outs in the sixth. Baylor cut the lead to 8-4 with a two-run homer by Dan Evatt and an RBI single by Brooks Kimmey.
Zaleski pushed the lead back to five after scoring on a pass ball in the bottom of the sixth.
The Bears made things interesting in the top of the ninth when Bearkats reliever Sean Weatherford gave up a walk and a single, the latter coming with two outs. Shaver Hansen hit a two-run double off reliever Matt Shelton, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Miller to cut the lead to 9-8.
But Shelton struck out Evatt looking to end the game.
“We have got ourselves in a different level right now, the level we have been pushing and pushing for,” Johnson said. “I think our pitchers have been doing a better job early in the ballgame and that was something we needed. That’s giving us a chance to get a lead and that makes it easier for us.”
The Bearkats return to action today when they host Houston Baptist in a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.
- SHSU Sports
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Time to crank it up
Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz knew coming into the season that he was going to have his hands full turning around the Bearkats’ football program.
The rest of the coaches in the Southland Conference apparently agree.
Coming off a 5-6 season, a fifth-place finish in league play and the loss of 15 starters, Sam Houston State has been tabbed to finish seventh in the SLC preseason coaches’ poll, which was announced Wednesday during the Southland Conference Football Media Day at the L’Auberge du Lac Resort. -
Pitching dominates Triple-A All-Star Game
Like the Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., pitchers dominated the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday in Allentown, Pa.
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Almost there
After years of toiling in the minor leagues, Dustin Martin can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Rising through the ranks of the minor league system all the way from Rookie League, the former Sam Houston outfielder is playing some of his best baseball these days and will play in Wednesday’s Triple-A All-Star Game in Allentown Pa., which will be televised at 6 p.m. on the MLB Network. -
Gallant shining again in Cape Cod League
Maybe, just maybe, on the mound closing games is where Dallas Gallant needs to be if he’s going to make a name for himself.
For the second summer in a row, the Sam Houston State pitcher has performed marvelously when he finishes games for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, a member of the distinguished Cape Cod Baseball League. -
Bearkats enjoy banner year in classroom
With the release of grade point averages for the more than 400 Bearkats participating in varsity sports, plus the announcement by the Southland Conference office of the annual Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, the 2009-10 season goes in the books as another banner academic year for Sam Houston State University.
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Belcher, Vilardi golf tournaments help rival football programs
Golfers in the Huntsville area can help the football programs at both Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin, two longtime rivals that soon will be adding new excitement to their annual “Battle of the Piney Woods” when they kick off this fall at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
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Kelly ready for NCAA golf regional
When Sam Houston’s Scott Kelly tees off Thursday in the NCAA South Central Regional men’s golf tournament, his goal will be simple. He wants to become the first Bearkat golfer to earn a spot in the national tournament.
“As an at-large entry, it’s difficult to advance but it’s not out of the question,” Kelly said. “I’m going into the tournament with high expectations and will give it my best shot.” -
Dreaming big
His mind has been working overtime. Huntsville senior Quenntin Tucker has spent the past two weeks preparing for the Class 4A Region III track meet.
Tucker practices the discus by day, then dreams about it at night. Physically and mentally, he’s ready for the big meet.
“I had a dream about this,” Tucker said last week during a short break from practice. “In the dream I finished second in our region, then I finished second at state.
“I woke up that morning smiling.” -
Same old story
The Bearkats must’ve felt as if they had a little bit of déjà vu.
For the second straight Saturday, the Bearkats used a monster inning to climb out of a huge hole only to see it slip away.
This time, it was Stephen F. Austin, which rallied for five runs in the final two innings and held off Sam Houston for a 14-13 win. -
UCA has Bearkat softball team on ropes
The Bearkats saw the light dim on their Southland Conference tournament aspirations Saturday afternoon.
Desperately in need of a series win to gain ground in the chase for the sixth and final seed, the Sam Houston State softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Central Arkansas. - More SHSU Sports Headlines
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