Box Score

THE RUNDOWN
A late go-ahead home run helped Sam Houston State come back to defeat DBU 6-5 Saturday to even the weekend series. The two-run blast by Clayton Harp represented the final lead change in a back-and-forth contest two innings after Devlin Granberg gave the Patriots a 5-4 lead with a three-run blast. 

Kragen Kechely pitched 2.2 innings of shutout baseball in relief of starter Kody Funderburk before walking the first batter he faced in the eighth. Sean Boyle came on and allowed the home run to Harp that sealed the victory for Sam Houston (17-6). 

The Patriots (12-9) fought back from an early two-run deficit, scoring in the third and fourth innings to tie the game. Blayne Jones drove in the equalizer with a double down the left field line that plated Luke Bandy in the fourth. 

SHSU regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by Ben Haefner. The Bearkats' fourth run, charged to Funderburk, would come in on a wild pitch by Kechely in the fifth.

A two-out rally gave the Patriots their first lead in the sixth. Jones reached on an error, and Jameson Hannah singled to right to bring Granberg to the plate. The DBU first baseman launched a 1-0 pitch from Nick Mikolajchak over the left centerfield fence.

After Sam Houston retook the lead in the eighth, the Patriots put pressure on Bearkat closer Dakota Mills, as Granberg walked, and Matt Duce singled to put runners at first and second with one out in a one-run game. A strikeout and a foulout later, the weekend series was knotted at a game apiece.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The win by Sam Houston sets up the Patriots' first rubber game of 2018.
- Hannah extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a bunt single in the third inning.
- Granberg's homer was his sixth of the season, giving him sole possession of the team lead. 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
23 – Granberg now has 23 RBI in his last 11 games and five in the first two games of the series.
10 – Patriot pitching struck out 10 batters, walking only two.
.461 – The DBU 1-3 hitters combined to go 6-13 at the plate (.461) with three runs and four RBI.
 
UP NEXT
The rubber game between DBU and Sam Houston State is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Sunday at Don Sanders Stadium.