Delaware, Sam Houston meet in C-USA series finale

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — Delaware’s Ryan McLaughlin and Sam Houston’s Gabriel Winans are expected to pitch in relief Sunday afternoon when the Blue Hens face the Bearkats in the finale of a three-game Conference USA series at Don Sanders Stadium.

Delaware (17-33) enters the game seeking to avoid a series sweep. Sam Houston (22-29) has won the first two games of the series, 5-4 on Saturday and 13-2 on Friday.

The forecast calls for 79-degree temperatures with rain possible at game time.

McLaughlin has been effective recently despite Delaware’s struggles. The right-hander threw 4.2 scoreless innings in Saturday’s loss, allowing no hits and one earned run while striking out five. Over his past five appearances, McLaughlin has posted a 1.93 ERA, striking out 13 over 18 innings while allowing only three earned runs.

Winans, a reliever for Sam Houston, earned the win Saturday with 1.1 hitless innings, striking out two. However, the right-hander has been inconsistent this season. In his previous six outings, he allowed 11 earned runs over 8.2 innings for an 11.42 ERA.

The Bearkats have won two straight after losing five of six. Sam Houston’s offense has produced 18 runs in the first two games of the series.

Delaware has lost two in a row after winning three straight. The Blue Hens’ offense, led by second baseman Jeremy Wolf, who went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs on Saturday, will need to generate runs against a Sam Houston pitching staff that limited Delaware to six runs over the first two games.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 6-4 Delaware win, but the Interstat ELO system gives Sam Houston a 56.4 percent probability of victory.

Notes: Delaware next hosts Western Kentucky in a three-game series beginning Thursday. Sam Houston hosts Houston Christian on Tuesday before traveling to Louisiana Tech for a three-game series starting Thursday.