COLLEGE BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS
Sam Houston State reliever Kyle Backhus allowed Southeastern Louisiana one hit in four innings to pick up the win Thursday in Sugar Land.
SUGAR LAND — Houston Baptist junior left fielder Spencer Halloran went 5-for-5 with two RBIs and scored a run to pace the Huskies to an 8-5 victory to eliminate Lamar from the Southland Conference tournament Thursday at Constellation Field.
Senior right fielder Brandon Brintz went 3-for5 with a double, two RBIs and scored three times for the Huskies (27-24).
Sophomore righthander JT Newton (7-0) earned the win with 41⁄3 innings of relief, allowing an unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Jimmy Johnson (6-6) allowed four runs on seven hits with a strikeout and a walk in 31⁄3 innings.
HBU faces top-seeded McNeese State (37-19), which lost to Central Arkansas (33-24) 5-3 late Thursday, at noon Friday.
SAM HOUSTON ST. 8 SE LOUISIANA 4
The Bearkats outscored the Lions by eight runs after the first inning for the win at Constellation Field.
Robie Rojas, Blake Chisolm and Hunter Hearn combined to go 9-for-11, picking up four RBIs and seven runs for the Bearkats (38-20).
Sam Houston State reliever Kyle Backhus (4-4) fanned six while holding the Lions to one hit and a walk in four innings.
The Bearkats advance to Friday’s 4 p.m. semifinals to face the winner of Southeastern Louisiana (36-19) and UNO (29-7-1).
NEW ORLEANS 4, SFA 3 (10)
In the bottom of the 10th, Lumberjacks pinch runner Chad Dunlop was thrown out at home by Privateers shortstop Aaron Palmer trying to score from second on Josh Campbell’s ground ball as Stephen F. Austin (29-28) was eliminated.
Tyler Starks (3-2) took the loss for SFA (29-28).