Houston Earn 9-4 Win Over Sam Houston State

Tuesday, April 17

SCHROEDER PARK

6:30 PM

University of Houston

22-14

Sam Houston State

25-12

Sam Houston State

Houston

4/17/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 17, 2018

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

HOUSTON -- Highlighted by six extra base hits, Houston Baseball showcased a dominant offensive performance to earn a 9-4 win over Sam Houston State at Schroeder Park on Tuesday to open the 2018 Don Sanders Cup series.

With the win, Houston improved to 22-14 on the year and 18-4 at home, while the Bearkats fell to 25-12.

HOUSTON HITS

Houston takes a 1-0 lead in the 2018 Don Sanders Cup series vs. Sam Houston State.
Lael Lockhart Jr. tossed a career-long 4.1 innings in just his second career start.
Lockhart fanned a career-high five hitters en route to his first career win.
Houston tallied five doubles and one triple for a total of six extra base hits.
Four Cougars had a multi-hit game and five Cougars tallied an RBI.
Houston pitching struck out 10 for its 15th game of the year with 10+ strikeouts.
The Cougars move to 18-4 at home this season and have won five straight home midweek games.

Houston tallied 10 hits, led by Grayson Padgett's three-RBI day and two hits. Tyler Bielamowicz collected two RBI and two hits and Jared Triolo tallied a game-high three hits with two runs scored and an RBI.

PITCHING BREAKDOWN
[W] Lael Lockhart Jr. | 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Kyle Ott | 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Joey Pulido | 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Carter Henry | 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Houston starter Lael Lockhart Jr. tossed a career-long 4.1 innings and struck out a career-high five in a predetermined pitch-count outing en route to his first career win as a Cougar. Lockhart allowed three runs on four hits with one walk against a dominant hitting Bearkat team.

Senior Kyle Ott helped Lockhart out of the fifth inning with one strikeout, while senior Joey Pulido was effortless in a 3.0 inning relief outing. Pulido struck out four and allowed just one run on three hits before handing the ball over to sophomore Carter Henry, who tossed a scoreless ninth.

KEY INNINGS
1st | Sam Houston State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first on a pair of hits.

Houston responded in strong fashion with two runs of its own to even the score early. Jared Triolo opened the frame with a double and following a bases loaded situation after a walk by Joe Davis and a hit batter by Tyler Bielamowicz, Triolo scored on a bases loaded walk by Grayson Padgett followed by bases loaded walk by Cooper Coldiron for the 2-2 score.

3rd | The Cougars would break open the 2-2 game with a pair of runs in the third to make it 4-2 in the third. The inning began with a lead off double by Tyler Bielamowicz before Padgett tripled down the right field line for the 3-2 advantage. Grayson Padgett then came around to score on a wild pitch for the two-run lead.

4th | Houston added two more runs in the fourth to make it 6-2 when Connor Hollis doubled to open up the latter half of the inning. He then scored on a one-out double by Lael Lockhart Jr., which was followed by a two-out RBI-single by Tyler Bielamowicz.

5th | Sam Houston State used a lead off double, wild pitch and a double steal to score its third run of the game to make it 6-3 Cougars in the fifth.

6th | Jared Triolo doubles into the right center gap to score Connor Hollis from first to give Houston a 7-3 lead in the sixth. The scoring continued with two more runs as Tyler Bielamowicz and Grayson Padgett continued their strong offensive night with back-to-back RBI on a squeeze bunt and single, respectively to extend the Cougars' lead to 9-3.

7th | Sam Houston State used a one-out single and RBI-triple to score one run in the seventh, but Joey Pulido escaped any more damage by striking out the side.

ON DECK
Houston will continue the Don Sanders Cup on Wednesday when it travels to Sam Houston State for the second game of the week. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday's game will be televised on Eleven Sports. To find Eleven Sports' availability in your area, click HERE. Fans can also watch via Southland.org/live or on the Southland Sports app.

Following Wednesday's game at Sam Houston State, the Cougars return to Schroeder Park to host American newcomer Wichita State in a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG FROM HUNTSVILLE
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Watch Live: Eleven Sports | Southland.org
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