Kats bounce MTSU from CUSA Tournament
May 24—RUSTON, La. — After dropping its opening game of the Conference USA Tournament, Sam Houston baseball has survived its first elimination game.
The Bearkats saw themselves entrenched in a pitchers duel between Bearkat starter Michael Watson and Middle Tennessee's Chandler Alderman went toe-to-toe for seven innings. The starters combined for 10 hits, 14 strikeouts and a walk in the outing.
"In May, a pitcher's duel is kind of rare but it happened today," Sam Houston head coach Jay Sirianni said to ESPN after the win. "Somehow we were able to score more than them."
Watson threw a season-high 110 pitches and saw himself get into a late jam. In his final frame, Watson gave up back-to-back singles before punching out Luke Vinson on three straight pitches to keep the momentum.
Maybe the most important thing of the game was the depth that Watson was capable of giving the Bearkats. His seven innings of work matched his season-high and saved the Kats bullpen that went through five arms in the opening game against Liberty.
"Michael's fastball can play up and he does a good job of locating it," Sirianni said. "He had to mix a little more today and he did a good job of being efficient. It was a big start for us. That was the biggest piece. Michael saved the bullpen. It was big."
To cover the final two frames, Sam Houston turned to senior Chandler David out of the pen and kept the game at bay. David logged the six-out save on 37 pitches. While he struck out four batters, Middle Tennessee took home for three hits and made things interesting in the ninth.
MTSU opened the ninth with a hit from Trace Phillips but that was all MTSU could muster up.
Offensively, Sam Houston has struggled at JC Love Field. Over the five games played there this season, the Bearkats have tallied 18 runs, the Kats scored nine in a 10-inning loss on April 28.
In the CUSA Tournament, the Bearkats have accumulated 10 hits across the two games played.
The bright spots have come from Hunter Autrey, Malachi Lott and Jeffery David.
David drilled a home run over the centerfield wall in the elimination game, while Autrey had the lone RBI against Liberty.
The Bearkats offense didn't have a base runner for the final 15 at-bats.
"However you win a game, you win a game," Sirianni said. "It is what it is. Keep playing and stay alive."
Sam Houston will now face either Louisiana Tech or Liberty at 7:30 p.m. at JC Love Field.
For coverage of the game over the holiday weekend, log on to itemonline.com.
