Category: Post Game

Houston Advances in Big 12 Championship, Eliminates Kansas State

Andres Perez held Kansas State scoreless for four innings Wednesday night.

Houston impressed in all facets of the game Wednesday night in Arlington and walked away 9-2 victors over Kansas State to advance in the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.

The Cougars, serving as the visiting team, went to bat first in the top of the first inning and we sat down quietly . . . The Wildcats then scratched across two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead.

They were the only runs of the game for Kansas State.

Meanwhile, the Houston offense went to work in the top of the second inning against Kansas State ace Jacob Frost . . . A strikeout to lead off the frame seemed to be setting the Cougars up for another inning like the first one, but Tyler Cox quickly changed things as he doubled to get on base.

Brandon Bishop quickly followed with a double of his own to score Cox and cut the Kansas State lead in half . . . Malachi Lott singled home Bishop to tie the game at two and then he stole second base . . . Tre Broussard drew a two out walk in front of Kenneth Jimenez who hammered a run-scoring single to give Houston a 3-2 lead.

Second baseman Connor McGinnis doubled in two more runs to make it 5-2 Houston and Kansas State went to the bullpen.

The five-run second inning was the third such inning for Houston in their last four games, the Cougars did it in back-to-back frames in the first game against Arizona last weekend at Schroeder Park.

After the first two Kansas State batters of the bottom of the second inning reached base via free passes, Houston also went to the bullpen in favor of right-hander Andres Perez.

What Perez did over the next four innings was nothing short of spectacular . . . Perez worked around the two inherited runners and escaped the frame without allowing Kansas State to claw back at the Houston lead.

Perez then faced the minimum in the third inning getting two swinging strikeouts and a fly ball out . . . Perez worked a scoreless fourth inning and started to show signs of tiring a bit in the bottom of the fifth inning as he approached and surpassed the 60-pitch mark, although he did strike out two batters in the frame, including the last batter he faced in the contest.

McGinnis (3-for-5) led off the top of the fifth inning with a single and X. Perez tripled to drive him home and expand the Houston lead to 6-2.

David Stich was next out of the Houston bullpen and he pitched a scoreless sixth inning, facing just four batters.

The Houston offense went to work again in the top of the seventh inning, starting with McGinnis leading off the inning with a double, his third hit of the game . . . X. Perez (2-for-5) singled home McGinnis and subsequently stole second and third base . . . Coby DeJesus was the third straight batter of the inning to reach base as he took a free pass and stole second base . . . Evan Haeger, a mid-game replacement for Bishop, singled home both runners on base and pushed the Houston lead to 9-2.

After the seventh inning stretch, right-hander Brady Fuller took the mound for the Cougars protecting a seven-run lead . . . The ballgame was Fuller’s at that point as he tossed three scoreless frames and retired nine of the ten batters he faced . . . Fuller earned the save for his effort, his first of the season.

Prrez pitched a career-high four innings and allowed just two hits, and the win improved his record to 3-1.

His postgame comments were as efficient as his outing against the Wildcats, “I was expecting to go in and do my job,” Perez said.

Perez did his job, first he stopped the bleeding and then he worked through a potent Kansas State offense without allowing anything that looked like momentum.

Head coach Todd Whitting agreed. “Andres getting out of that big jam the inning he came in, I thought was huge,” Whitting said. “Then, we just kept pouring on the runs. Stich comes in and gets his inning and Fuller comes in and does his job.”

“Overall, top to bottom, just a great team effort,” Whitting said.

Houston pitching allowed just five base hits in eliminating the Wildcats from the Championship field . . . The Cougars combined for 11 hits offensively and McGinnis, X. Perez, and Haeger each had two RBI.

The nine runs scored by Houston was the most runs scored by any team on day one of the 2025 Big 12 Championship, the next closest team was Cincinnati, which scored six runs in eliminating Texas Tech.

Houston will next face TCU on Thursday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington . . . The Cougars played the last game of the day on Wednesday, and the original start time was mercifully pushed back only 15 minutes . . . Thursday’s matchup with the Horned Frogs is a 7:30pm scheduled start, but with three games being played before it, look for a possible later start.

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Houston Offense Erupts in 13-4 Win Over Arizona

Houston celebrates after a win over Arizona Thursday night.

Houston rode back-to-back five-run innings to a 13-4 defeat of Arizona Thursday night at Schroeder Park.

The victory came in the opener of the final weekend of Big 12 play, and of the regular season, with the Cougars having already clinched a spot in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship next week in Arlington.

Connor McGinnis (3-for-4) had his best performance since returning last weekend after an injury . . . McGinnis finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle and drive in three runs.

Tre Broussard also put on a show Thursday night batting in the leadoff spot after a stint in the middle of the order . . . Broussard went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run over the left field wall in the sixth inning, three of his four RBI on the night.

Left-hander Antoine Jean took the mound for Houston to start the top of the fifth inning with his team trailing 4-3 . . . Jean set the Wildcats down in order in the fifth, getting three fly ball outs and he worked around an error behind him in the sixth inning to face just four batters.

Houston notched its first five-run frames in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

Jean faced the minimum in the top of the seventh inning, thanks in part to a great defensive play by Aaron Lugo behind the third base bag . . . The Cougars then plated five more runs after the seventh inning stretch.

Houston, deciding to save Jean for later this weekend if needed, or early next week in the Big 12 Championship, sent Andres Perez to the mound for the final two innings.

Perez retired six of the seven batters he faced and closed out the Houston victory with a looking strikeout.

Jean threw three hitless innings and struck out three batters in earning the win to improve to 5-1 this season.

Tyler Cox was 2-for-4 with three RBI batting in the eight spot, his two singles came in the back-to-back five-run frames.

The Cougars and the Wildcats will meet again on Friday night at Schroeder Park . . . Alex Solis will be on the mound for Houston . . . The game is scheduled to get underway at 6:35pm.

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Houston Wins 10-4 to Complete Sweep of Utah

Xavier Perez went 3-for-5 with a home run Sunday against Utah

Houston completed its first Big 12 sweep of the season on Sunday with a 10-4 victory over Utah at Schroeder Park.

With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, Coby DeJesus singled into right-center field to become Houston’s first base runner . . . DeJesus was attempting to steal second base, and with the second baseman moving to cover the base, Brandon Bishop (3-for-3) bounced a ball through the right side of the infield and into right field moving DeJesus to third base . . . After Bishop stole second base, Tyler Cox delivered a fly ball to right field and DeJesus scored on the sacrifice fly ball for a 1-0 Houston lead.

Utah took a 2-1 lead in the top half of the fourth inning, one of the runs scored on a questionable call at home plate which is stood up after a replay review.

Xavier Perez (3-for-5) led off the Cougars half of the fourth inning with a slow single up the middle into center field . . . Tre Broussard pulled a bunt past the pitcher’s mound toward second base and out-ran a toss to first base for a single to put two runners on base with no outs . . . DeJesus put down a sacrifice bunt to third base to move both runners into scoring position . . . Bishop popped a bunt toward the pitcher, who missed the ball but fielded it cleanly to make a toss to first base, which was late, as the first baseman seemed dismayed by the call at first base, Broussard was in full sprint toward the plate and scored easily . . . Cox (3-for-4) singled for the fourth hit in five batters to start the inning . . . Climie hit a sacrifice fly ball deep to right field to score Bishop and Houston took a 4-2 lead going to the fifth inning.

Kenneth Jimenez walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning . . . One out later, Perez launched his eighth home run of the season high over the left field wall, the two-run shot extended the Houston lead . . . Broussard then drove a ball into center field on which most hitters would have settled for a single, but Broussard hustled it into a double . . . Broussard moved to third base on a groundout to shortstop before Bishop walked with two outs to put runners on the corners . . . Cox then lined a triple the opposite way into right field to plate Broussard and Bishop as his second and third RBI for an 8-2 lead.

After the Utes added a run in the top half of the seventh inning, two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Houston after the seventh inning stretch . . . Riley Jackson plated a run on a sacrifice fly ball to left field to once again extend the Houston lead to six runs, 9-3.

Both teams added a run to their tally in the eighth inning, 10-4 stood as the final score.

Houston essentially threw a bullpen game on Sunday, using seven pitchers, none of whom threw more than two innings . . . Diego Luzardo made the start and pitched two scoreless frames . . . Andres Perez added two scoreless innings of work in the middle of the game while Alex Solis and Michael Benzor each added a scoreless inning of relief late in the ballgame.

Ten runs is the most runs Houston has scored in a Big 12 this season . . . The last time the Cougars swept a Big 12 series was last season when they opened Big 12 play against Baylor at home.

The Cougars are off for a day before they welcome Texas A&M to Schroeder Park on Tuesday night for the final midweek game of the season . . . First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.

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This weekend Houston passed the one million mark for fans that have passed through the gates at Schroeder Park.

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Houston Earns Quality Road Win at McNeese

The Cougars stretch in Lake Charles Tuesday before facing McNeese.

Houston claimed a quality midweek victory on Tuesday night in Lake Charles, Louisiana by topping McNeese 4-3.

The score and the opponent Tuesday were exactly the same as 20 days ago when McNeese outlasted Houston 4-3 in 10 innings at Schroeder Park.

With two outs in the top of third inning, Kenneth Jimenez singled to reach first base for the second time in as many at-bats . . . Aaron Lugo followed with a home run over the wall in left-center field and the Cougars took a 2-0 lead.

Diego Luzardo was working fast and efficient as he cruised through five innings in his midweek start . . . Over five innings Luzardo allowed just three hits and one run and did not walk a batter, helping to keep the pitch count down . . . Luzardo was perfect through the first three innings and recorded three outs, one in each inning, on the first pitch of the at-bat . . . Luzardo hit the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pitch and a throwing error by the catcher on an attempted pick-off play at first base allowed the runner to advance to third base where he eventually scored on a balk.

Luzardo completed his start having thrown 55 pitches, 34 of them for strikes and he earned victory to improve to 2-1 this season.

Back to the top of the order to open the sixth inning, Lugo was drilled in the back with a pitch to earn first base with one out . . . Lugo advanced to second base on a wild pitch just before Xavier Perez doubled down the left field line to scoring Lugo . . . Tre Broussard singled to right field to move Perez to third base . . . Anthony Avalos put down a great sacrifice bunt to the pitcher to score Perez for a 4-1 Houston lead.

Andres Perez delivered a scoreless frame in relief of Luzardo, as did Chris Scinta, and David Stich . . . Stich worked around a couple of base runners and struck out all three of the outs he recorded in the frame.

The Cowboys scored a couple of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning after back-to-back doubles started the inning, but the Cougars held on and stranded the tying run at third base and a potential winning run at first base.

Only four Cougars had base hits in the game, Jimenez had two of them.

Houston and McNeese played two midweek games this season, and they split the series, with each team winning on the road by the exact same score, 4-3.

Houston returns home and will play host to Utah for a Big 12 weekend series starting on Friday night . . . First pitch at Schroder Park is set for 6:35pm . . . It was announced earlier on Tuesday that Sunday’s finale with the Utes will have a 12:05pm first pitch instead of a 1:05pm start.

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Jean Fans Eight, Three Homer as Houston Wins 6-5 Over Kansas State

Antoine Jean prepares to face the Wildcats Sunday.

Houston salvaged the final game against Kansas State Sunday afternoon 6-5 before leaving Manhattan.

Kenneth Jimenez singled to lead off the game and one out later Xavier Perez walked to put two runners on base . . . Then, with two outs, Anthony Avalos then hit a three-run home run over the left field wall on the first pitch of his at-bat . . . Brandon Bishop, who hit his first home run of the season on Saturday, followed by hitting his second home run of the season over the wall in left-center field for a 4-0 lead.

After a walk and a single the Wildcats went to their bullpen to get out of the opening frame.

But Kansas State battled back and responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning . . . Houston also went to the bullpen in the first inning after two solo home runs and a walked batter . . . Antoine Jean took the mound with a runner on first base and one out . . . It took Jean a bit to get settled as back-to-back singles were followed by a walk before the first of Jean’s eight strikeouts on the afternoon, when the inning was over, the Cougars were clinging to a 4-3 lead.

Cade Climie hit a solo home run over the wall in right-center field in the top of the third inning to give Houston a two-run cushion at 5-3.

The Wildcats added a run in the bottom of the third inning to once again cut the deficit to one, then Kansas State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when a little small ball yielded a run.

Jean was finished after the seventh inning having retired the last 10 batters he faced, striking out the last four . . . Richie Roman took the mound for the eighth inning and he worked around a throwing error at third base to pitch a scoreless frame.

With the game still tied at five in the top of the ninth inning, Avalos was hit by a pitch to reach base . . . One out later, Tyler Cox doubled down the right field line to score Avalos all the way from first base and Houston took a 6-5 lead.

Roman worked around a one out single and stolen base to get the final two outs and preserve the 6-5 Houston victory . . . Roman (1-5) earned the win, his first of the season.

Jean pitched 6 2/3 innings, taking the game from the first inning into the eighth inning . . . Jean threw 112 pitches and allowed just five base hits.

Houston returns home Sunday and is next in action Tuesday night in Lake Charles at McNeese . . . First pitch is scheduled for 6pm . . . The Cougars return home next weekend to host Utah in a Big 12 weekend series.

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Houston Defeats Lamar 11-6 in Midweek Matchup

Ryan Dollar pitched two scoreless innings Tuesday against Lamar.

Houston earned a quality midweek win 11-6 over Lamar at Schroeder Park on Tuesday night.

The game needed 20 different pitchers between the two teams and 3 hours and 46 minutes before the Cougars prevailed, handing the Cardinals just their 11th loss in 43 games this season.

Anthony Avalos, getting just his second start of the season, got the bottom of the first inning started with a clean single up the middle prior to a walk to Aaron Lugo . . . Tre Broussard (2-for-4) singled into right field with one out on a ball the Lamar right fielder gave up on due the direct flow of sunlight right in his face . . . With the bases loaded, Coby DeJesus singled into right field, and the right fielder let the ball get by him allowing it to roll for a while as Cougars runners cleared the bases with DeJesus pulling up at third base with a 3-0 Houston lead.

Cade Climie then walked to keep the inning going . . . With two outs, Tyler Cox dropped a double into shallow right field just inside the foul line and behind first base to score two more runs . . . Riley Jackson then punched a single into left field between third base and shortstop to score Cox from second base and Houston led 6-0 as the order went back to the top and Lamar went to the bullpen in the first inning.

Ryan Dollar served as the starting pitcher in the role of an opener and he pitched two solid, scoreless innings before giving way to the Cougars bullpen.

The Cougars led by six runs until Lamar got to Houston pitching for four runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Houston got the offense churning again in their half of the inning and got the four runs right back . . . Avalos (3-for-5) once again led off the inning with a base hit, his second of the ballgame to that point . . . Aaron Lugo (2-for-3) singled into right field allowing Avalos to reach third base, where he would score on a wild pitch momentarily.

After two straight swinging strikeouts to slow the proceedings a bit, DeJesus walked and Climie singled to plate a run . . . Evan Haeger singled to reach base, one of his two hits in the game in just his eighth start of the season . . . Tyler Cox was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run before Jackson walked to make it 10-4.

Lugo took a pitch off his arm to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning allowing him to reach first base . . . A walk to Perez followed and Broussard singled into left-center field and a fielding error allowed Broussard to reach second base while a run scored to make it 11-4.

Lamar picked up two runs in the top of the eighth inning and nothing more.

Alex Solis pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Dollar . . . Andres Perez added 1 2/3 innings and was actually the winning pitcher to improve to 1-1 on the year . . . David Stich and Malachi Lott each pitched a scoreless inning in the latter innings.

Michael Benzor pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Houston and got a nice defensive play by Lugo at third base to close out the victory.

Houston hits the road now for a Big 12 series at Kansas State in Manhattan . . . First pitch Friday night is set for 6pm.

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Jean Fans Eight, Broussard Drives in Four as Houston Tops Oklahoma State

Houston players look on as Oklahoma State prepped for Friday’s opener.

Houston continued its solid road play in Big 12 games as they took the series-opener against Oklahoma State 7-4 on Friday afternoon at O’Brate Stadium in Stillwater.

Friday’s opener was moved up a few hours in order to avoid some expected bad weather tonight, so the Cougars and the Cowboys played a Friday afternoon affair under cloudy skies which held off the rain long enough to complete the game.

Houston starter Paul Schmitz was perfect through the first three innings, and he racked up five strikeouts.

A leadoff walk to start the bottom of the fourth inning got a three-run frame started for the Cowboys.

The top of the fifth inning started with Aaron Lugo being walked and before Xavier Perez was hit by a pitch to put the first two batters of the frame on base . . . After a Tre Broussard groundout moved Lugo and Perez into scoring position, Coby DeJesus delivered a one-out single up the middle and into center field to get Houston to within a run at 3-2.

Antoine Jean took the mound to start the bottom of the fifth inning for Houston protecting the one run lead . . . A rare run off of Jean on a solo home run extended the Cowboys advantage to 4-2.

Evan Haeger made a pinch-hit appearance to lead off the top of the sixth inning and drew a walk and then stole second base . . . Tyler Cox followed with his third single of the game, which moved Haeger to third base before Cox stole second base . . . A fielder’s choice resulted in an out at home plate, the second out of the inning . . . Perez then walked to load the bases before Broussard pulled a double to the wall in right-center field clearing the bases and giving Houston its first lead of the game, 5-4.

The Cougars offense was not done adding runs to the tally as the game moved into the eighth inning and Jean was working his way through the Cowboys lineup . . . Kenneth Jimenez was hit in the head with a pitch as he was showing bunt with one out and he was able to take first base . . . Lugo was walked but was erased on a fielder’s choice which also moved Jimenez to third base.

Broussard (2-for-5) then lined a single right back at the pitcher, the carom of the ball off of the pitcher’s body allowed Jimenez to score as everyone else was safe on the bases on the fourth RBI of the game by Broussard . . . DeJesus (3-for-5) singled home his third run of the game and Houston took a 7-4.

Jean retired the final 11 batters he faced in the game without allowing a baserunner . . . Jean struck out five of those batters and he was aided by a terrific defensive play at third base by Lugo who backhanded a bouncing ball just inside the third base line and fired a throw across in time to get the runner out at first base.

Jean, now 4-1 on the season, struck out eight batters in his five innings of relief work and allowed just one hit and one run, on the solo home run . . . Jean threw 64 pitches, which was one fewer than Schmitz threw in his four innings of work.

Schmitz and Jean combined to allow Oklahoma State just three base hits in the game and they combined to walk just two batters, one apiece.

Houston stranded 12 runners on base and more timely hitting could have made the margin of victory even greater . . . Cox was 3-for-5 with a stolen base batting in the nine spot, really nice production out of that spot in the lineup.

The Cougars are now 5-2 in Big 12 road games this season.

Houston and Oklahoma State are set to resume their series Saturday evening at 6pm, the weather may pose problems, but time will tell . . . Just before the series got underway on Friday, it was announced that right-hander Brady Fuller would make the Saturday start against the Cowboys, it will be Fuller’s first Big 12 start . . . In pregame comments Friday, head coach Todd Whitting suggested that Fuller would get one time through the Oklahoma State lineup at which point things would be reassessed.

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Houston Romps Rice at Reckling 15-3, Sweeps Silver Glove Series

Houston played game three of the Silver Glove Series at Rice.

Having already captured the Silver Glove Series for 2025, Houston completed the three-game season sweep with a 15-3 drubbing of Rice at Reckling Park on Tuesday night.

The Cougars struck first with a run in the opening frame when Aaron Lugo and Xavier Perez both walked . . . Tre Broussard then bounced a ground-rule double over the wall in left-center field, sending Rice to the bullpen in the first inning with Houston leading 1-0.

With one out in the top of the second inning, Jake Tatom was hit by a pitch before he stole second base . . . A throwing error by the Rice shortstop on a ground ball by Lugo allowed Tatom to score and Lugo settled at second base, but not for long . . . Perez (2-for-5) singled past the shortstop into center field to score Lugo for a 3-0 lead.

The top of the third inning began with Kenneth Jimenez and Coby DeJesus each being hit by a pitch then an error at first base on a batted ball by Malachi Lott loaded the bases with no outs . . . Cade Climie singled into left-center for two runs before Tatom singled on the infield to load the bases for the second time in the inning.

An error made on a batted ball by Tyler Cox scored a run and was followed by a two-run single off the bat of Perez past a diving third baseman into left field and Houston took an 8-1 lead.

Houston starter Alex Solis pitched the first three innings of the game before handing the ball over to the Cougars bullpen . . . Solis allowed just the one run.

Houston sent seven pitchers to the hill on Tuesday night . . . Ryan Dollar pitched a scoreless sixth in which he faced the minimum, got one strikeout, and threw just nine pitches.

The Cougars were still leading 8-3 in the top of the seventh inning when Climie led the inning off with a walk . . . Tatom launched a home run high over the left field wall, a two-run shot that extended the Cougars lead to seven runs again and forced the Owls to their bullpen.

Cox walked and two outs later Broussard walked before Jimenez walked . . . DeJesus sent a single between first and second base into right field to score two more Houston runs and push the lead to 12-3 sending the game to the seventh inning stretch.

Right-handed freshman Kendall Hoffman followed Dollar on the mound and threw two scoreless innings of his own.

With the game all but over in the top of the ninth inning, Broussard took a pitch to the body to reach first base with one out . . . Cole Carbone walked in his first and only plate appearance of the night and DeJesus walked . . . With the bases now loaded, pinch-hitter Pip Smalley was then hit by a pitch to force in a run.

Climie then hit into a fielder’s choice which turned into a fielding error and when the ball sailed into the outfield, two more Cougars crossed the plate for a 15-3 lead.

Michael Benzor pitched the ninth inning for the Cougars and after striking out the first two Rice batters in the frame, he worked around a two-out double to strike out the final batter of the game and put the lid on the 2025 Silver Glove Series.

With the 15 runs scored on Tuesday, Houston scored 43 runs in the Silver Glove Series this year, which is the most runs Houston has ever scored against Rice in a three-game series, topping the previous mark of 38 runs in 2016 . . . Houston only had eight hits in the ballgame, with Perez and Tatom the only two Cougars with multiple hits . . . The hits were timely as Houston took advantage of 10 walks, 5 batters hit by a pitch, and four Rice defensive errors.

Tatom made a catch to end the second inning in which he covered a lot of ground from left field into left-center field, it was one for the highlight reels.

Houston is off until Friday night when they open up a Big 12 road series in Stillwater against Oklahoma State . . . Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6pm.

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Houston Offense Delivers, But Cougars Drop Series to Mountaineers

Antoine Jean was dominant in his two innings pitched Saturday.

The Cougars fell to the Mountaineers 9-8 Saturday night at Schroeder Park as West Virginia claimed the weekend series.

For the second night in a row, the West Virginia offense got to Houston pitching for nine runs . . . But the Cougar bats came alive to give Houston a chance to even the series . . . The eight runs Houston scored Saturday ties their season best in a Big 12 game this season when they scored eight runs in a loss to Texas Tech.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the first inning, Xavier Perez took a one-out walk and moved up on a passed ball and a groundout, and later scored on a wild pitch to get Houston on the board first . . . Designated hitter Kenneth Jimenez worked a two-out walk to bring up Coby DeJesus who sent a ball over the left field wall for a two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.

West Virginia tied the game up in the top half of the second inning before taking the lead in the top half of the third inning.

Trailing 9-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Houston made it a closer game . . . Tre Broussard was hit by a pitch with one out, and he subsequently stole second base, his 27th stolen base of the season . . . Coby DeJesus walked with two outs to keep the line moving for Houston . . . Malachi Lott then snuck a ball over the right field wall for a three-run home run to cut the Cougars deficit down to two runs, 9-7.

After the seventh inning stretch, Jimenez, DeJesus, and Lott took three consecutive walks to open what looked to be a promising inning . . .  A fourth straight walk to Cade Climie forced in a run to get the Cougars to within a run at 9-8.

Antoine Jean pitched the eighth and ninth in an attempt to keep the game close in the late going in the hopes that the Cougars offense might gain an edge . . . Jean was as filthy and dominant as he has been all season, recording six outs in the game, all of them by strikeout, three swinging, three looking.

But the Houston offense was unable to get a base runner against the Mountaineers bullpen in the bottom of the ninth inning and West Virginia walked away with the series-clinching victory.

Chris Scinta was the victim of a defensive error behind him which led to three runs crossing the plate in the fourth inning . . . Graysen Drezek pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief without allowing a run and he struck out three batters.

DeJesus was 2-for-3 and Perez was 2-for-5, the only two Houston hitters with multiple hits Saturday night.

Houston and West Virginia conclude their weekend series on Sunday morning with a first pitch slated for 11:35am . . . At this time Houston has not announced a starting pitcher.

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Houston Falls to West Virginia in First-Ever Meeting to Open Weekend Set

Eric Van Valkenburg was great out of the Houston bullpen Friday night.

Houston dropped the weekend opener against West Virginia 9-2 Friday night at Schroeder Park. 

After being retired in order through the first three innings, the Houston offense showed signs of life to start the bottom of the fourth inning . . . Aaron Lugo led off the inning with a liner just inside the third base bag for a double . . . Two outs later, designated hitter Kenneth Jimenez lined a double between the shortstop and the second base bag into center field to score Lugo from second base to cut the Houston deficit to 5-1.

After the Mountaineers added a run in the top half of the fifth inning, the Cougars got a run back in the bottom half when Cade Climie went the opposite way and hit a home run over the right field wall with one out, but Houston still trailed 6-2.

West Virginia added a run in the sixth inning and two more runs in the eighth inning on their way to a 9-2 victory.

Three defensive errors by the Cougars made five of the West Virginia runs unearned . . . The three errors hurt three of the four Houston pitchers in Friday’s game.

Malachi Lott took the mound with two runners on base and no outs in the top of the sixth inning, he retired the only three batters he faced in the frame, striking out two of them . . . Lott retired the first six batters he faced before two singles and an error cost him a run in the eighth inning . . . Right-hander Eric Van Valkenburg was solid over 1 2/3 innings to close out the game without allowing a base hit or any runs, he faced five batters and recorded five outs.

The Houston offense recorded five base hits in the game, each of them by a different player.

The Cougars and the Mountaineers resume the weekend series on Saturday night at Schroeder Park . . . Richie Roman will start the game for Houston and he will deliver the first pitch at 6:35pm.

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