HBU digs too deep a hole
Huskies fall 15-4, face Lamar in loser’s bracket
SUGAR LAND — Houston Baptist hoped to round into form to start the 2017 Southland Conference baseball tournament but instead start in a hole.
The No. 4-seed Huskies opened with a 15-4 loss in seven innings to No. 5 Central Arkansas on Wednesday night at Constellation Field. The loss drops HBU into the loser’s bracket, where No. 8 Lamar awaits at noon Thursday.
Keaton Presley’s threerun homer off HBU starter Addison Russ in the second inning was a precursor to Central Arkansas’ seven-run third inning off four hits.
Russ was taken out after 22⁄3 innings and relieved by Zach Carter and later JT Jakubik and Weston Wick.
HBU coach Jared Moon called it an uncharacteristic outing for Russ, who has a chance to play at the next level.
“It’s unfortunate he has his worst outing on the first day of the tournament,” Moon said. “But we’ve got the pitching to give us a chance to get back to Saturday. We’ve got to take care of business tomorrow.”
HBU puts lefthander Christian Thames on the mound Thursday.
Central Arkansas’ big- gest contributors during that third-inning outburst were Jansen McCurdy and Hunter Strong, who drove in two runs apiece with hits.
The Bears’ 11-0 lead at that point was more than enough cushion to withstand the Huskies’ rally back in the bottom of the frame. Zane Otten scored after Brandon Brintz’s errant throw missed the shortstop, giving Spencer Halloran an RBI fielder’s choice. Jake Pulcheon added a run-scoring single, and Austin Zillweger’s RBI groundout finished the third.
HBU mustered another run off Jack Fitzgerald’s sixth-inning RBI single.
Jakubik was the most steady on the mound for HBU, allowing one earned run with three strikeouts over 21⁄3 innings.
Central Arkansas starter Tyler Gray allowed one earned run while striking out five in the victory.
Moon said the hits (seven) were there Wednesday, just not the RBIs.
“We can show up tomorrow and beat somebody 15-4 just like we got beat today,” Moon said. “Every team can do it. We just have to execute pitches and hit with runners on. That’s the whole key to the tournament.”
Earlier Wednesday, the tournament’s top seed, McNeese State, also put Lamar in an early hole en route to a 7-5 victory. Dustin Duhon homered in the first inning and Austin Nelson homered in the second to give McNeese a 2-0 lead.
The Cowboys subsequently opened 4-1 and 6-3 leads before the Cardinals closed the gap with runs in the eighth on Trey Silvers’ RBI walk and in the ninth on Robin Adames’ runscoring single for his third RBI of the game.