THE RUNDOWN
Saturday afternoon, DBU (20-15, 10-4 CUSA) defeated Sam Houston State (14-20, 4-10 CUSA) by a score of 14-3, needing just seven innings to claim their fifth consecutive conference series victory.
Jared Schaeffer and
Russ Smith combined to throw all seven innings tonight, providing the relief arms with a rest day. The pair of right arms combined for seven strikeouts, allowing just three runs in the process.
​
Schaeffer and Sam Houston State's Tyler Ryden exchanged zeros in the first inning, before the Patriots initiated the scoring with a
Dylan Schlaegel bases-loaded walk and an
Adam Berghult sacrifice fly in the top of the second.
​
In the bottom half, Nathan Fink welcomed everyone back from a weather delay with a solo home run to right field. After two innings, the Patriots led 2-1.
​
The Bearkats took the lead in the third, plating two runs, highlighted by Fink's second extra-base hit of the game, an RBI double. One-third of the way through the contest, SHSU led 3-2.
​
DBU responded in the next half inning with a four-spot. Chayon Krauss and
Dylan Cupp led off the inning by setting the table for a
Cooper Neville RBI single. Later in the inning,
Dylan Cupp scored on a wild pitch, and
Keaton Grady belted a two-run homer to right field.
Jared Schaeffer continued the momentum by tossing a scoreless bottom half, holding the score at 6-3 at the end of the fourth.
​
The Patriots continued their stretch of dominance in the top of the fifth, as
Ryan Martin crushed a leadoff home run over the left field fence. With one out in the inning,
Chayton Krauss followed suit by pulling a solo home run to left field himself, before
Dylan Cupp and
Cooper Neville set the table for a
Dylan Schlaegel RBI fielder's choice. In the next at-bat,
Adam Berghult lofted his third home run of the weekend to left-center, driving in three, and making the score 12-3.
​
Russ Smith tossed a scoreless fifth and sixth, paving the way for DBU to shoot for a run-rule victory in the top of the seventh.
​
Cooper Neville led off the top of the seventh with a triple and scored on
Dylan Schlaegel's second RBI fielder's choice of the night. With two away in the inning,
Ryan Martin slapped a run-scoring single up the middle, bringing Schlaegel home and bringing the Patriots' lead to 11.
​
With
Russ Smith standing in their way, the Bearkats entered the bottom of the seventh needing a run in order to avoid a mercy-rule loss. Smith promptly tossed a one-two-three inning to seal DBU's 20th win on the year.
​
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots have won six games via run-rule this season.
-
Adam Berghult has reached base safely in six of his eight plate appearances so far this weekend.
-
Russ Smith earned his second collegiate save in as many opportunities tonight.
​
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4 -
Cooper Neville recorded his second four-hit game of the season tonight, and increased his OBP to .469.
0 - SHSU's lead-off man, Caleb Cotton, hasn't reached base once in his nine plate appearances this weekend.
12 -
Ryan Martin's fifth-inning big fly made him DBU's outright leader in home runs on the season.
ON DECK
DBU will go for its first CUSA sweep of the season on Sunday as they conclude their weekend set against Sam Houston State (14-20, 4-10 CUSA). First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. tomorrow.
