Month: March 2023

Aggies Top Houston to End Homestand

John Ekness made his first start as a Houston Cougar Tuesday night against Texas A&M

Houston dropped its midweek game to Texas A&M 5-1 on Tuesday night at Schroeder Park to close out a five-game homestand.

John Ekness made his first start of the season and was outstanding in the loss, going 6 2/3 innings allowing just two earned runs on three hits . . . It was the longest outing of the season for Ekness who mixed sharpness with power and great off-speed pitches.

The lone Houston run came in the fifth inning when Ian McMillan doubled to lead off the inning . . . Brandon Uhse followed by driving in McMillan on a single to center field to cut the Aggies lead in half 2-1.

A three-run ninth inning for Texas A&M added to their 5-1 win margin as Houston used three pitchers to get through the inning.

Houston now hits the road for the next four games, they will open a three-game series in Minneapolis with Minnesota on Friday night at 6pm . . . At the conclusion of that trip to the north, the Cougars will play a midweek contest at McNeese next Tuesday before returning to Schroeder Park next Wednesday to host Southern.

Cougars Edged 7-6 as Sooners Sweep

Malachi Lott started Sunday’s finale against Oklahoma

A closer contest on Sunday yielded a familiar result from the weekend as Oklahoma swept Houston with a 7-6 victory at Schroeder Park.

Malachi Lott got the Sunday start for the second straight week and worked 3 1/3 innings where he allowed just one run before being lifted for right-hander Josh Ekness.

Houston tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when a Zach Arnold (4-for-5) lead-off single was followed by a slicing double to left field by Alex Lopez . . . One out later, Cameron Nickens scored Arnold from third base on a deep sacrifice fly ball to center field.

The Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ian McMillan went the opposite way and drove a single into right field to plate Brandon Burckel from second base.

Oklahoma added three runs in the top of the sixth inning on double and a single and with the help of three walks, a batter hit by a pitch, and a throwing error at first base to take a 4-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, two singles and a catcher’s interference loaded the bases for Houston before Brandon Uhse singled on the infield to score a run . . . One out and one walk later, Anthony Tulimero hit a bases loaded double to right field to plate two runs but the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate on a relay and the Cougars went to the ninth inning trailing 7-6.

A last gasp effort in the ninth inning fell short with Burckel on second base as the potential tying run as Oklahoma completed the sweep.

Houston is off on Monday and will be back on the field at home on Tuesday when they welcome Texas A&M to town for a midweek matchup . . . First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.

Houston Drops Oklahoma Series, Looks to Avoid Sweep Sunday

Paul Schmitz made his first start of the season for Houston Saturday night

After a brutal twelve-run defeat on Friday, Houston played a more complete game on Saturday night against Oklahoma but still came up short, losing 8-3.

The Cougars offense came out making solid contact with the baseball, but the team ran itself out of the inning by getting one runner thrown out at the plate and another at third base, on two different plays . . . Houston still led 1-0 after the first inning, but the lead could have been greater if not for running into two outs.

Paul Schmitz made his first start since coming to Houston, though he had made five appearances so far this season and despite a final line that does not look favorable, the outing by Schmitz was quite good and he deserves another chance to start.

A passed ball and a wild pitch in the eighth inning gave the Cougars their second and third runs of the game and made the 8-3 final seem closer than the game actually was.

Houston and Oklahoma close out the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at 1pm . . . Malachi Lott will make his second straight Sunday start on the mound.

Cougars Fall Flat in Oklahoma Opener

Houston opened a weekend series with Oklahoma on Friday night at Schroeder Park

A forgettable Friday night found the Cougars on the wrong end of a 13-1 final score against the Oklahoma Sooners at Schroeder Park.

Cade Citelli got the Friday night start for the fourth consecutive week and was decent until he was replaced on the mound in the fourth inning . . . Citelli faced first inning trouble with the bases loaded and walked in the only run of the inning, and escaped without further damage.

Oklahoma right-hander Kale Davis was too much for Houston hitters over his six innings pitched . . . Zach Arnold accounted for the only Cougars run against Davis on Friday night, hitting a line drive over the left-field wall to tie the game at one in the bottom of the third inning.

Cameron Nickens was 2-for-2 in the game, the only Houston hitter with multiple hits accounting for two of the five total hits for the Cougars.

The Cougars and the Sooners continue their series Saturday evening at 6:30pm at Schroeder Park . . . Paul Schmitz is scheduled to get the start on the mound for Houston, his first start since joining the Cougars.

Houston Pummels Panthers 17-4

Travis Phelps delivers the first pitch Tuesday night at Schroeder Park

Houston dominated the Prairie View A&M Panthers 17-4 Tuesday night at Schroeder Park in a game that did not seem close after the Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

The victory may have come with a cost though as for the second time in less than two weeks a Houston starting pitcher left with an apparent injury in the first inning . . . Travis Phelps left with an unknown injury at the time, though he might have been injured on an attempted backward swat at a ball hit up the middle . . . Phelps did not look right after the play and a few pitches later coaches visited the mound and removed him from the game at which point he bypassed the dugout and went straight to the training facility.

The midweek game was lined up to be a bullpen game anyway, the injury just sped up the process . . . In total, the Cougars used nine pitchers against the Panthers and allowed just four hits in the complete nine inning game.

First year Cougar Thomas Lyssy went 2-for-3 with four RBI . . . The Cougars also scored seventeen runs without the help of a home run.

The Cougars are off until Friday when they will welcome the Oklahoma Sooners for a weekend series . . . The Sooners have a different roster from the team that won the Big 12 last season and played in the final series for the College World Series . . . First pitch on Friday night at Schroeder Park is scheduled for 6:30pm.

Cougars Shut Out 1-0, Drop Road Series

Malachi Lott pitched five innings on Sunday afternoon, allowing the games only run . . . The effort was Lott’s longest outing of the season and gave Houston a boost of sorts, as well as options, as the coaching staff tried to adjust the pitching rotation after the loss of Kyle LaCalameto for the rest of the season.

The Cougars return home for a Tuesday midweek with Prairie View A&M and then playing host to the Oklahoma Sooners next weekend . . . First pitch on Tuesday at Schroeder Park is scheduled for 6:30pm.