Houston Baseball secured the Don Sanders Cup title on Apr. 7 by defeating Sam Houston, 5-4, in the final game of their series at Don Sanders Stadium. This marks Houston’s fourth Don Sanders Cup championship since the series began in 2017.
The win was clinched after senior Ryne Rodriguez pitched the last 2.1 innings for his first victory as a Cougar, helping Houston improve to a season record of 16-15. Zach Alarid took the loss for Sam Houston, which now stands at 14-17.
Key performances included Xavier Perez going two-for-four with a triple and an RBI, Jackson LaLima driving in two runs, and Antonelli Savattere reaching base three times and extending his hitting streak to five games. Junior Alex Solis delivered his 29th career scoreless pitching appearance during the contest.
Houston initially led after Perez tripled home Blake Fields in the third inning. The Bearkats responded with two runs in the fourth to take their only lead of the night. In a pivotal eighth inning, Houston scored four runs thanks to singles from Perez and Riley Jackson and timely walks that loaded the bases. LaLima’s single brought home two runners before Tyler Cox added another run with a sacrifice fly.
Sam Houston narrowed the gap with two late runs but could not overcome Houston’s lead by game’s end.
Looking ahead, Houston will return home for a three-game series against BYU starting Thursday evening.
