Box Score April 15, 2011
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Sam Houston State's Bearkats doused the hopes of Lamar University coach Jim Gilligan achieving his 1,200th victory Friday night by hammering out 12 hits against four Cardinal pitchers in a 9-4 Southland Conference win before a crowd of 562 in Sanders Stadium.
The Bearkats, who improved to 24-12 on the season and 9-7 in the SLC, got 11 of their hits off Lamar starter and loser Blake Ford, who won SLC Pitcher of the Week honors earlier this week. The loss dropped Gilligan's Cardinals to 22-14 overall and also 9-7 in the league.
Biggest offensive highlight for the Cardinals was shortstop Aaron Buchanan's home run to lead off the game, but wasn't enough to hold back the Bearkats, who got nine of their hits and six of their runs in the first three innings.
From the start, it was obvious that Ford wasn't as sharp as he had been in recent outings as he surrendered four hits in the first inning and four more in the second. A strikeout, caught-stealing (at third base) helped him get out of the first with allowing only one run, but the Bearkats roughed him up for four in the second to go up 5-1.
Meanwhile, the only offense the Cardinals could generate through their first three at-bats was Buchanan's home run over the right-field fence to lead off the game. It was only Lamar's eighth homer in 36 games this season.
The Bearkats added a third-inning run on Daniel Nottebart's leadoff triple and a groundout RBI by Kevin Miller, but the Cardinals rallied to cut their deficit to 6-4 by scoring three runs in the fifth. Andy Mena had an RBI double, and Aaron Buchanan drove in a run with an infield single and the third run crossed on a throwing error by Bearkat second baseman Ryan Mooney.
Back-to-back doubles Braeden Riley of Woodville and Nottebart to lead off their half of the fifth inning enabled the Bearkats to increase their lead to 7-4. Ford, who fell to 5-3 on the season, exited moments later after yielding his second base on balls of the night, and reliever Taylor McInnis managed to pitch his way out of the two-on, one-out jam.
The Bearkats stretched their lead to 9-4 in the eighth inning on a walk to Ryan Mooney, a triple into the gap in right centerfield by Chris Andreas and a sacrifice fly by Riley.
The Cardinals and Bearkats will play Game 2 of the weekend series at 2 p.m. Saturday, also in Sanders Stadium.
LAMAR
