Mar 19th, 2007 04:25AM
by:

By STEVE EAST
UCA SID

CONWAY — Junior designated hitter Bobby Verbick had five hits and eight RBI in leading the Sam Houston State Bearkats to a 15-6 victory over the University of Central Arkansas Bears in their Southland Conference series finale on Sunday (March 18).

Verbick, who hit for the cycle Sunday and also had two home runs on Saturday, had four RBI in the first two innings as the Bearkats (15-8, 2-1) went up 5-0 after two innings. He had a two-run triple in the first and added a two-run double in the second. A two-run single in the fourth gave Verbick six RBI and keyed a six-run inning that gave SHSU an 11-0 lead.

The Bears, who managed only one hit through the first five innings, put up six runs in the sixth. Matt Warren doubled down the right-field line for the first run and Derrick Corso followed with a similar shot to the same spot for another. Payton Seelinger’s sacrifice fly to right brought in the third run and an infield single by Jonathan Ashworth scored the fourth.

Tye Throneberry went the opposite way for an RBI single and a run-scoring single to left-center by Kevin Rawls closed the gap to 11-6. However, the Bears left the bases loaded in that inning and again in the seventh and eighth innings. For the game, UCA stranded 12 runners.

Corso went 3 for 5 for the Bears, while Rawls, Warren, Ashworth and Craig Nyborg all had two hits. Rightfielder Todd Sebek was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI for the Bearkats.

SHSU starter Tim Gray (2-1) went 5 2/3 innings and got the win despite allowing all six UCA runs in the sixth. Grant Gatlin (0-1) got the loss for the Bears.

UCA hosts Southeast Missouri State at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.