CONWAY, AR -- Senior Matt Warren doubled to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Kevin Rawls with the game-winning run in a 6-5 victory over Sam Houston State on Friday at UCA Field.
The Bears (9-7, 1-0) won their first-ever Southland Conference game behind a 13-hit offensive attack and a 10-strikeout performance from junior Matt Whitaker.
Whitaker (2-2) and Bobby Pritchett held the Bearkats to five hits. Jeremy
Holzbach led Sam Houston State the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Five different Bears had at least two hits, with Warren contributing a
game-high three RBI. Whitaker (2-2) went eight innings, allowing six hits
and two earned runs.
The Bears fell behind 4-0 after the Bearkats (13-8, 0-1) put up three runs in the fourth inning.
Rightfielder Todd Sebek started the scoring for SHSU, singling up the
middle, stealing second, then scoring on a single by Holzbach in the first
inning. Karl Krailo singled in Keith Stein who got on base on an error;
Bobby Verbick was hit by a pitch and later scored on an error; and Heath Puth's hit a sacrific fly to right field to score Krailo in the Kats'
three-run fourth.
UCA answered with a four-run fifth inning, sending eight batters to the
plate. All four of the runs were unearned off starter Jesse Marshall because of a pair of errors. Warren had a two-run single to left and right fielder Derrick Corso doubled home two more.
Sam Houston went back ahead 5-4 in the top of the sixth as another Holzbach single scored Austin Boggs who walked.
UCA tied it in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single by pinch-hitter
Grant Gatlin.
Jesse Marshall started for the Bearkats, allowing eight hits in five innings with two walks and three strike outs. Stephen Spaugh and Stephen Price pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
The Bearkats brought in reliever Luke Prihoda to start the eighth but Rawls greeted him with a leadoff single up the middle. A sacrifice bunt by Gatlin moved him to second. One out later, Warren laced a double to left for the game-winner.
Pritchett came on to pitch the ninth, faced four batters and earned his
first save. Warren, Dickson, Payton Seelinger, Jonathan Ashworth and Rawls all had two hits for the Bears.
Game 2 of the series will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by the
series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Line Score
Central Arkansas 6, Sam Houston State 5
(3-16-07 at Conway, AR)
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Sam Houston State... 001 301 000 - 5 5 2 (13-8, 0-1 SLC)
Central Arkansas.... 000 041 01X - 6 13 2 (9-7, 1-0 SLC)
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Pitchers: Sam Houston State - Marshall; Spaugh(6); Price(7); Prihoda(8).
Central Arkansas -
Whitaker; Pritchett(9).
Win-Whitaker(2-2) Save-Pritchett(1) Loss-Prihoda(2-1) T-2:38 A-175
Marshall faced 1 batter in the 6th.
