RUSTON, La. (Interstat) — Sam Houston State’s Zachery Alarid and Gabriel Winans combined for a no-hitter as the Bearkats blanked Louisiana Tech 6-0 on Saturday afternoon at J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

Alarid, who entered the game with a 5.12 ERA over his previous two outings, earned the win by holding the Bulldogs hitless over six innings. He struck out three, walked two and hit a batter, throwing 73 pitches. Winans followed with three perfect innings, striking out three and retiring all nine batters he faced in his first relief appearance of the series. The combined no-hitter was the first for Sam Houston since 2021 and the second shutout of the season for the Bearkats.

Sam Houston, now 24-32 overall and 8-16 in Conference USA, had dropped the first two games of the three-game set by scores of 2-8 and 1-2. The Bearkats had not scored more than three runs in their previous four games, but broke through early against Louisiana Tech starter Luke Cooley.

In the top of the second inning, Wes Baker singled through the left side and Sean Bazmore doubled down the left field line, putting runners at second and third. Kirby Orth then singled through the right side, driving in both runners for a 2-0 lead. Orth was later caught stealing to end the inning.

Sam Houston added a run in the fourth. Caleb Cotton tripled to left field and scored on Baker’s single to center, making it 3-0.

The Bearkats put the game away in the eighth inning against Louisiana Tech reliever Luke Nichols. A throwing error by shortstop McCoy allowed a run to score, and later a fielding error by Nichols on a bunt attempt loaded the bases. Cotton’s sacrifice bunt scored another run, and Baker’s single to center plated a third, all three runs unearned, to stretch the lead to 6-0.

Louisiana Tech, which entered the game at 33-22 overall and 11-12 in conference, managed only four baserunners in the game. The Bulldogs reached base on a walk in the first, a hit-by-pitch in the first, a walk in the third, and an infield single by McCoy in the fifth. That hit came against Alarid but was later erased on a fielder’s choice. The Bulldogs did not advance a runner past second base.

Cooley took the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits over five innings, striking out three and walking one. Nate Crider struck out three in a scoreless sixth, Nichols allowed two unearned runs on two hits over two innings, and Connor Nation worked a perfect ninth with one strikeout.

Baker led the Sam Houston offense with three hits and two RBI from the catcher position. Orth had one hit and two RBI, while Cotton drove in a run and scored twice. Bazmore had the team’s only extra-base hit, a double in the second inning.

Louisiana Tech’s four hits came from McCoy (two singles), Hawsey (one single) and Mexico (one single).

Sam Houston snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory. Louisiana Tech had won four of its previous five games.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Louisiana Tech 6, Sam Houston 3, and its ELO system gave the Bulldogs a 70.10 percent probability to win.