Houston’s troubles in Big 12 play continued on Friday night when Baylor came to Schroeder Park and claimed a 6-2 victory.
As the Cougars continue to look for a workable solution to the starting rotation, they chose right-handed freshman Connor Udland.
Udland pitched well, going 4 1/3 innings and allowing just two runs on five hits, and he added three strikeouts.
The Houston offense struggled against Baylor starter Lucas Davenport who pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just one run.
A Blake Fields RBI single in the sixth inning was followed by Jackson LaLima’s sixth home run of the season in the seventh inning, a solo shot to deep left-center field, and that was the extent of the Cougars’ run production.
Right-hander Harrison Boushele pitched for the second game in a row, and just as he was dominant against Texas on Tuesday night, he was equally brilliant in shutting down the Baylor offense . . . Boushele allowed the Bears nothing over the final 2 1/3 innings, with a lone base runner reaching on a fielding error at third base which was of no consequence.
Boushele also struck out four batters for the second straight game.
Houston only had five hits in the game, and only one of them was for extra bases.
The Cougars and the Bears return to action Saturday at 1pm at Schroeder Park.
Ryne Rodriguez silenced the Kansas State offense for six innings on Sunday.
By Steve Parkhurst
After being walked-off via run-rule two nights in a row to open Big 12 play this season, Houston returned the favor as it walked off Kansas State 16-6 in eight innings Sunday afternoon at Schroeder Park.
The afternoon got off to a rough start and things looked bleak in the top of the first inning as the Wildcats took a 4-0 lead on a grand slam.
Left-hander Ryne Rodriguez took the mound in relief to start the second inning with the Cougars still trailing by four . . . Rodriguez promptly pitched the next six innings allowing just one unearned run and only three hits on a career-high 88 pitches.
It was an effort the Cougars pitching staff desperately needed after two rough games to open the series.
The Cougars clawed back as Rodriguez was quieting the potent Wildcats offense.
In the bottom of the second inning, Jackson LaLima hit a three-run home run to left-center field, his fourth long ball of the season, and Houston only trailed by a run, 4-3.
Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, shortstop Tyler Cox tied the game at five with a one out solo home run to left field . . . The dinger was the first for Cox in a Houston uniform, his last home run was hit for Dartmouth three years ago to the day.
After Houston went to the bullpen for the eighth inning, Kansas State took a 6-5 lead when a leadoff walk came home to score.
Ball four appeared to be a strike on the outside corner, low and away on that leadoff walk and the umpires heard about the missed call for a while from the Houston dugout . . . When the runner crossed the plate as the go-ahead run a few minutes later, the chatter increased and Houston head coach Todd Whitting was ejected from the game.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, McClane Helton led off with a pinch-hit single on the infield, little did anyone know that he would bat again, and single again, in the frame.
With Helton on second base, Cox (2-for-3) singled to tie the game at six, his second time in as many at-bats to tie the game . . . Tre Broussard was then intentionally walked after the count on him reached 2-0, he would also bat again in the inning.
Riley Jackson then took the next pitch off his batting helmet to load the bases with one out . . . Dylan Maxcey (3-for-4) doubled to the wall in left-center field to drive in two runs and Houston took its first lead of the game, 8-6.
After the Wildcats went to the bullpen, Antonelli Savattere singled into right-center field to plate two more Cougars just before Blake Fields (2-for-2) was hit by a pitch on his lower left leg and he took his place at first base . . . Both Savattere and Fields moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
LaLima followed by flying out to the warning track in center field, the sacrifice fly RBI made it 11-6 with two outs.
Helton (2-for-2) singled in his second at-bat of the inning, this one to left-center field drove in a run and kept the merry go round moving.
Cox was hit by a pitch as he was attempting to bunt, he was the third batter hit by a pitch in the inning . . . Perez then powered an 0-1 pitch off the center field wall for a double and the Cougars held a 14-6 advantage.
Broussard ended things when he drove a towering shot to center field on a 1-0 pitch, and when the ball bounced off the batter’s eye and back onto the field of play, the Cougars were walk-off winners as chaos ensued around home plate . . . The Cougars scored 11 runs in the frame, more than the nine total runs they had scored in the previous two games.
In postgame comments, Broussard called the previous two days “embarrassing.” But, Broussard was quick to point out that the response to the previous two games was about sticking to the process and executing the game plan.
When asked about the electricity in the dugout as his team battled back, Broussard kept it simple.
“A good dugout, means a good team.”
The Cougars are now off until Wednesday when they will host the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns in a midweek matchup before heading off to Kansas for a Big 12 weekend series in Lawrence . . . First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:30pm at Schroeder Park.
Houston completed a three-game sweep of Arkansas Pine Bluff by taking both games of a doubleheader on Saturday (and Sunday) at Schroeder Park by scores of 6-5 and 10-0.
Carsten Sabathia and Riley Jackson were both hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the second inning . . . A sacrifice fly ball to center field off the bat of Antonelli Savattere plated Sabathia for an early 1-0 lead.
Tied at one in the bottom of the third inning, Xavier Perez went deep with one out, sending the ball over the wall in left-center field for a 2-1 lead . . . After Dylan Maxcey singled up the middle to reach base, Jackson drove a double to the wall in left-center field with two outs and Maxcey out-raced a throw to home plate to give Houston a 3-1 lead.
After the Golden Lions got a run back, McClane Helton, after seeing nine pitches to open the bottom of the first inning with a walk, drew a one-out walk after seeing 11 pitches in the bottom of the fourth inning, before he moved to second base on a steal . . . Perez then singled into left-center field with two outs to bring Helton across the plate and Houston took a two-run lead once again, 4-2.
After the seventh inning stretch, Perez tripled to right-center field to get the inning started . . . One out later, Sabathia singled into center field past a drawn-in infield, Perez scored and the Cougars led 5-2.
Houston starter Kendall Hoffman was done after seven innings having allowed just two runs while striking out four batters, he also retired the last seven batters he faced, it was the second consecutive start for Hoffman in which he threw seven innings or more . . . Hoffman threw 86 total pitches on Saturday.
The Golden Lions scored three on the Cougars bullpen in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game and set up the late inning theatrics.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sabathia got the late rally started by doubling off the wall in center field, he then gave way to pinch-runner Peyton Dickens at second base . . . Jackson was intentionally walked to set up a force out anywhere on the infield, but also because he has been swinging an incredibly hot bat of late.
Savattere then singled into center field and a throw home was off the mark allowing Dickens to cross the plate for the walk-off win, 6-5.
Having won the series, the only question left unanswered was whether Houston could complete the sweep, and if so, could they do it before the rain started falling.
Perez led off game two with a double to the wall in right-center field before Savattere was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base with no outs . . . Sabathia followed with a one-out single into center field to score Perez . . . After Justin Cherrington was hit by a pitch to load the bases, the Golden Lions went to the bullpen . . . A first-pitch wild pitch plated Savaterre and a single to left field by Blake Fields scored Sabathia for an early 3-0 lead.
Tyler Cox earned a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the second inning . . . A one-out walk to Savattere followed and a walk to Jackson loaded the bases and sent the Golden Lions to the bullpen for the second time in the game . . . Sabathia then cleared the bases with a grand slam over the left field wall with his parents watching from their seats behind the third base dugout, and Houston led 7-0.
Houston starter Connor Udland was the only pitcher used in the Saturday portion of game two . . . Udland opened with two perfect frames, retiring the first seven batters he faced before an error yielded his first base runner . . . Udland struck out five batters and allowed just one base hit over five innings on 70 total pitches.
When play resumed on Sunday afternoon, freshman right-hander Caleb Kimble made his collegiate debut and he retired the side in order.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Cherrington was hit by a pitch for the second time in the time and Fields was walked soon after . . . LaLima then hammered a pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run and a 10-0 Houston lead.
After working a perfect frame in the sixth inning, Kimble made things interesting in the seventh inning with three straight walks and three wild pitches mixed in . . . After a swinging strikeout, Kimble induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the ballgame.
The game was the first shutout by Houston pitching this season, and a one-hitter, with a lone single in the fourth inning on Saturday being the only recorded hit, the major caveat of course is that it was only a seven inning game.
Over the two days that it took to play the doubleheader there was everything: a game that started several minutes before the scheduled first pitch, a grand slam, a lightning delay, a rain delay, a game technically “official” postponed until the next day, clocks moved forward an hour overnight, an official delay that lasted approximately 17 1/2 hours, and finally, a run-rule shutout victory to close out the non-conference portion of the 2026 schedule.
Houston is off until Tuesday when they will welcome Rice to Schroeder Park for the first game of the 2026 Silver Glove Series . . . The game will get underway at 6:30pm.
The Cougars found their way back into the win column after dropping two in a row with a 5-4 victory over Sam Houston in Huntsville Tuesday night to take game one of the 2026 Don Sanders Cup.
Sam Houston took a 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning when three straight walks loaded the bases, but after a pitching change by Houston, the damage was limited to just the two runs on sacrifice fly balls to the outfield.
First baseman Riley Jackson led off the top of the fourth inning by slapping a double down the left field line . . . After Jackson moved to third base on a wild pitch, Antonelli Savattere grounded out to shortstop to get a run back and cut the deficit in half.
Jackson LaLima walked to lead off the top of the fifth inning and the Bearkats went to the bullpen for the first time in the game . . . Tyler Cox moved LaLima to second base on a sacrifice bunt . . . With two out, Xavier Perez drove a ball into right field to score LaLima as the game-tying run . . . Perez stole second base before Cade Climie bounced a double over the right field wall and Houston took its first lead of the night, 3-2.
Blake Fields earned a one out walk to reach base in the top of the sixth inning . . . Catcher Dylan Maxcey then homered to left field, his first home run in a Houston uniform, and the Cougars extended their advantage to 5-2.
After three straight walks to start the bottom of the second inning, the Cougars went to the bullpen in favor of Alex Solis who inherited the bases loaded with no outs . . . The right-hander went to work and retired all 15 batters he faced as he dominated the Bearkats lineup . . . At one stretch, Solis struck out six of eleven batters he faced and he pitched through the sixth inning having thrown an incredibly efficient 57 pitches.
Following the seventh inning stretch, freshman Connor Udland took over for Solis on the hill . . . A tough-luck infield single preceded the Bearkats loading the bases with one out . . . Udland struck out the final two batters to end the inning on his way to striking out the side.
A two-run blast for the Bearkats in the bottom of the eighth inning cut the Houston lead to 5-4.
Tyler Bryan took the mound with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and he proceeded to strike out the final four batters of the game in impressive fashion, throwing only 15 pitches . . . Bryan was credited with the save, his third of the season.
Solis earned the win and is now 2-0 . . . Four Houston pitchers combined to strike out 15 Sam Houston batters.
Houston (6-2) now heads north to Frisco where they will play three different teams in the Frisco College Classic . . . The Cougars will face Oregon State on Friday afternoon with a first pitch scheduled for 2pm.
Houston fell to UTRGV 8-4 on Sunday afternoon at Schroeder Park.
Starter Richie Roman allowed two runs in the opening frame, only one of them was earned because of a throwing error from the outfield.
Antonelli Savattere led off the top of the fourth inning by dropping a single into left-center field and he moved to second base on a ground ball out . . . Blake Fields then singled into left-center field to drive in Savattere and cut the deficit in half.
After the first inning, Roman settled in to pitch three scoreless innings and departed after the fourth inning . . . Roman allowed just three hits and struck out four batters.
Fields was back for more in the bottom of the sixth inning, he led off the frame with a double down the right field line . . . One out later, pinch-hitter Tre Broussard doubled to right-center field to score Fields and tie the game.
The game was still tied as it moved to the ninth inning . . . The Vaqueros struck for six runs against multiple Houston pitchers in the top half of the inning.
Jackson LaLima led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run, his second of the season . . . Irvin Weems followed with a double down the left field line and after moving to third base on a dropped third strike, he crossed the plate on a wild pitch to cut the UTRGV lead to 8-4. . . The potential comeback ended there as the Cougars dropped to 5-2 on the season.
Fields (3-for-4) and Xavier Perez (3-for-5) accounted for six of the 10 Houston base hits . . . Broussard is hitting .500 this season and has driven in nine runs.
Houston hits the road for the next four games starting with a midweek game in Huntsville against Sam Houston, the first game for the 2026 Don Sanders Cup . . . First pitch of the Tuesday is set for 6pm.
Kendall Hoffman started on the mound Saturday at Schroeder Park.
By Steve Parkhurst
Houston was dealt their first setback of the season Saturday night at Schroeder Park when UTRGV prevailed 10-6 to even the weekend series.
Shortstop Tyler Cox had a nice at-bat to open the game for the Houston offense, fouling off several pitches before eventually working a walk . . . Tre Broussard then launched a high fly ball off the scoreboard in right field, his first home run of the season, and the Cougars led 2-0.
A bizarre sequence of events took place with two outs when Carter Sintek took first base on a two-out walk before Riley Jackson (3-for-4) singled the opposite way to put runners on the corners . . . Cade Climie was at the plate when drama unfolded . . . The Cougars were attempting a double-steal of second base and home plate when a balk by the pitcher and a catcher’s interference on the same play awarded both runners their base, and Climie took over at first base.
When the dust settled the Cougars held a three-run lead going to the second inning.
Still leading 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Xavier Perez tripled off the wall in deep left-center field to lead off the frame and scored moments later on a wild pitch.
An inning later, Jackson LaLima (2-for-4) snuck a ball over the right field wall with two outs for a solo home run and a 5-0 Cougars lead.
The Vaqueros manufactured a run in the top of the fifth inning . . . Hoffman took his exit with two outs in the frame leading 5-1 having allowed just two hits while striking out four . . . At one point Hoffman retired seven batters in a row and he recorded no decision in the game.
Two home runs against the Houston bullpen in the top of the sixth inning cut the lead to a run before the Vaqueros took a 8-5 lead in the seventh inning.
After the seventh inning stretch, Perez greeted the first pitch by sending it over the center field wall to get the Cougars within two runs.
Left-hander Max McCraray had a nice outing in late relief for Houston striking out the only two batters he faced.
The Cougars (5-1) and the Vaqueros (2-4) conclude their series on Sunday at Schroeder Park with a first pitch set for 1pm . . . Sunday’s game will conclude the homestand as the Cougars play their next four games on the road . . . Richie Roman will make the Sunday start for Houston.
Paul Schmitz pitched five scoreless innings against UTRGV at Schroeder Park Friday
By Steve Parkhurst
Houston opened the home portion of their 2026 schedule by taking down UTRGV 11-3 on Friday night at Schroeder Park, improving to 5-0 in the process.
After an opening day win last Friday in Puerto Rico, Paul Schmitz said of his role on the pitching staff, “We’re just here to get our name called and fill a role.”
Schmitz filled the role of a Friday nightstarter against UTRGV . . . The first pitch of the game by Schmitz was hit to the left field wall where it was caught for a long out . . . It seemed unsettling, except Schmitz settled in and struck out four straight batters.
Meanwhile Houston struck first in the run column, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning on a throwing error at shortstop that allowed Xavier Perez to score from second base after he reached on a two-out double to the right field wall.
An inning later, two-out magic was the order of the day once again when first baseman Riley Jackson hit a solo home run deep to left field . . . Two consecutive walks were followed by a Tre Broussard RBI single into right-center field . . . Perez then singled up the middle and his RBI put the Cougars in front 4-0 going to the third inning.
The Vaqueros went to the bullpen to start the bottom of the third inning, but the Cougars continued to add to their lead . . . A leadoff walk to Blake Fields then a single off the bat of Dylan Maxcey had the Houston offense in business once again . . . A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and Jackson (2-for-3) brought them across the plate on a one-out single up the middle . . . Broussard (3-for-4) knocked another two-out single past the infield and into center field and the Houston lead was 7-0.
Jackson LaLima led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single through the left side to turn the lineup over ahead of a walk to Tyler Cox . . . Broussard then punched a single between shortstop and third base to bring LaLima home, for Broussard it was his third single in as many at-bats over four innings . . . Cox scored on a wild pitch and Houston led 9-0.
Schmitz was finished after the fifth inning, he allowed three base hits and struck out seven . . . The right-hander brought his total scoreless innings this season to nine and with the win he improved his record to 2-0 to open the season.
Ryne Rodriguez tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Schmitz, he struck out two of the six batters he faced . . . The Vaqueros got to the Houston bullpen for three runs on an eighth inning home run to cut the Houston lead to six runs.
Carter Sintek made his first plate appearance of the night to lead off the eighth inning, and he was hit by a pitch . . . Blake Fields followed with a single and Maxcey (3-for-4) sacrificed to move both runners into scoring position . . . McClane Helton put a ball in play on the infield and fielder’s choice gone awry at home plate allowed two more runs to score, providing the final margin of victory.
Cade Climie came off the bench in the sixth inning, his third pinch-hitting appearance of the season, and his third extra-base hit in those appearances, this one a double . . . Climie was also hit by a pitch in the eighth inning allowing him to reach base in both of his trips to the plate.
The Houston offense pounded out 14 base hits in the contest.
Houston and UTRGV will continue their weekend series on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch set for 4:30pm . . . Right-hander Kendall Hoffman will make his second consecutive Saturday start for the Cougars.
The Cougars concluded their trip to Puerto Rico with a win on Monday.
By Steve Parkhurst
Houston edged Washington 8-7 on Monday afternoon in the final game of the Puerto Rico Challenge and improved to 4-0 before returning home to open their home slate.
The Cougars got the scoring started in the top of the second inning after Dylan Maxcey was hit by a pitch with two outs before McClane Helton was then walked on four pitches . . . Riley Jackson then bounced a ball to third base which was fielded cleanly, but the throw was wide at first time as the ball went up the line in foul territory enough to allow both Maxcey and Helton to cross the plate for a 2-0 lead.
With Houston leading 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, the Cougars added a run on a two-out error on a dropped fly ball in shallow right field.
Washington tied the game at three in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the tie was short-lived.
Jackson LaLima opened the top of the fifth inning with a double into left field . . . Tyler Cox tried to sacrifice himself to move LaLima to third base, but an error by the pitcher allowed Cox to reach safely and put runners on the corners with no outs . . . Tre Broussard then drove a ball into deep center field, LaLima was able to tag up and give Houston a one run lead . . . Xavier Perez then hit a home run over the wall in center field, the first Cougars home run of the season, and Houston led 6-3.
Washington took a 7-6 lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning, scoring four runs and sending eight batters to the plate in the frame.
Helton was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the sixth inning . . . Cade Climie, pinch-hitting for the second time in as many days, doubled to the wall in right field with Helton stopping at third base . . . LaLima (2-for-4) doubled to left-center field to tie the game once again, this time at seven.
The game remained tied until the ninth inning . . . Perez got things started by drawing a one out walk . . . Carter Sintek, in a pinch-hitting appearance, also drew a walk, this one on four pitches, and Washington went to the bullpen . . . Maxcey then walked on four pitches to load the bases with two outs . . . Helton then drew a four-pitch walk to plate Perez for an 8-7 lead.
Tyler Bryan took the mound for the bottom of the ninth inning and he recorded an out on the first pitch he tossed . . . After issuing a walk, Bryan got a strikeout looking as catcher Maxcey threw to second base to stop an attempted steal to end the game.
Chris Scinta was outstanding once again for the Cougars out of the bullpen . . . Scinta (1-0) earned the win after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing no hits while striking out two . . . Bryan earned the save, already his second of the season.
Seven different Houston hitters had at least one base hit in the Monday contest, LaLima was the only player with multiple hits.
Freshman Connor Udland made the mound start for the Cougars and pitched four innings . . . Udland impressed in the fall and looks to be in the rotation mix, he struck out five batters on Monday over his four innings of work.
Houston used eight pitchers in the victory and combined to strike out 11 Huskies batters while only walking four as a staff.
The Cougars, having played four games in the first four days of the season, are now off until Friday when they will play host to UTRGV . . . The weekend series with the Vaqueros will begin Friday evening at Schroeder Park with a first pitch scheduled for 6:30pm.
Houston defeated Manhattan in Ponce, PR on Sunday morning.
By Steve Parkhurst
Houston improved to 3-0 on the season with a 4-2 win over Manhattan on Day 3 of the Puerto Rico Challenge in Ponce on Sunday morning.
Richie Roman was on the mound for Houston Sunday morning and after allowing a run in the first inning, he settled in to cruise through five innings on 63 pitches . . . Roman allowed just four hits, all singles, and struck out five Manhattan batters . . . At one point Roman retired nine Jasper hitters in a row, setting the side down in order in the third and fourth frames.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Carter Sintek, making his Houston debut and batting in the leadoff spot, singled up the middle to reach base with one out . . . Sintek advanced to second base on a balk before McClane Helton bounced a ground rule double over the right field wall to score Sintek and tie the game . . . Xavier Perez then singled past the Manhattan third baseman to plate Helton and the Cougars took their first lead of the game at 2-1.
Newcomer Ryne Rodriguez took the mound for the second time this weekend and pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
The Jaspers manufactured a run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game.
Still tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, Tre Broussard earned a walk in a pinch-hit plate appearance . . . Peyton Dickens took over at first base for Broussard and was sacrificed to second base on a Dylan Maxcey bunt . . . Dickens was able to steal third base before Jackson LaLima singled into center field to put Houston in front by one run . . . Cade Climie, pinch-hitting in his first at-bat of the season, hit a two-out triple to the wall in right-center field to score LaLima and put Houston in front 4-2.
Right-hander Alex Solis handled the pitching for the final three innings, allowing just one run . . . Solis struck out four Manhattan hitters, all of them swinging, and earned the win for his efforts.
“I thought Richie was outstanding today,” said head coach Todd Whitting after the game. “I’m happy he got off to a great start.”
“Solis was incredible at the end of the game,” Whitting added. “That’s a huge piece of the puzzle for our pitching staff, for him to dominate the mid to back end of the bullpen.”
Houston pitching has allowed just five runs in the first three games to open the season.
“I’m proud of this entire team for their gutsy performance to pull out the W today,” Whitting said.
Houston will conclude its trip to Puerto Rico on Monday when the Cougars face the Washington Huskies . . . First pitch in the Puerto Rico Challenge finale is scheduled for Noon CT.
Paul Schmitz made the start against Wake Forest Friday to open the 2026 season.
By Steve Parkhurst
Houston opened the 2026 season on Friday morning in Ponce, Puerto Rico with an 8-2 victory over Wake Forest in the first game of the Puerto Rico Challenge . . . The game also marked the first of the 2026 NCAA season.
Right-hander Paul Schmitz returned to his once familiar role as Friday starter on the mound for the Cougars.
Still scoreless in the bottom of the third inning, Blake Fields led off the frame smashing a single into left field for his first collegiate base hit . . . The next batter, Jackson LaLima, was hit by a pitch to turn the lineup over with two runners on base and no one out.
Tyler Cox put a bunt down on the first base side and it was fielded by Wake Forest first baseman Kade Lewis, but the throw to first base sailed into right field allowing Fields and LaLima to cross the plate while Cox motored all the way to third base.
Tre Broussard walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch which also scored Cox from third base . . . Xavier Perez, who was hit on the back of the head by a pitch in his first plate appearance, followed with a single of his own . . . Antonelli Savattere singled to plate Broussard, the sixth straight Houston batter to reach base, and Houston took a 4-0 lead.
LaLima led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a ground rule double to left field . . . Cox singled home LaLima to extend the Houston lead to 5-0 and sent Wake Forest to the bullpen with no outs in the inning.
Left-hander Ryne Rodriguez took the mound to start the fifth inning, ending the day for Schmitz at 70 pitches . . . Schmitz allowed two hits and had two strikeouts while keeping Wake Forest off the scoreboard.
A sacrifice fly RBI to center field off the bat of Fields in the bottom of the fifth inning gave Houston a 6-0 lead.
Wake Forest got two runs back in the top of the sixth inning to close the deficit to four runs.
Left-hander Chris Scinta relieved Rodrguez in the top of the sixth inning and he was the last pitcher the Cougars used in the game as he was terrific over the next four frames.
The Cougars added two runs in bottom of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly to right field by Broussard followed by an infield groundout by Savattere to push the lead back to six runs at 8-2.
Scinta closed out the victory on the 40th pitch of his outing, working around an error and a single . . . In recording the final 12 outs, Scinta allowed just two base hits and struck out two batters, a line similar to that of Schmitz . . . Scinta earned the save while Schmitz (1-0) recorded the win.
“Schmitz set a great tone against one of the best offenses in the country,” Houston head coach Todd Whitting said following the game, “Paul pounded the zone and went right at them.”
Whitting also offered praise for Scinta’s effort in the securing the win, “Chris did a great job of getting us out of a huge jam and that momentum gave him the ability to finish the game.”
“Today I was just attacking with the fastball,” Schmitz said after the game. “Whatever pitch was called, I wanted to throw the pitch and throw it with conviction.”
“The boys on defense, we take pride in their work,” Schmitz added. “I love my guys on defense, Jackson LaLima played some third base behind us today.”
Asked about his role over the upcoming season, and whether he will be a full-time starter or even pitch in relief, Schmitz noted, “We’re just here to get our name called and fill a role.”
In addition to his great plays at the hot corner, LaLima was 2-for-3 at the plate and reached base three times, batting in the ninth spot . . . LaLima crossed the plate all three times he reached base Friday and was the only Cougars hitter with multiple base hits . . . Across the diamond, Riley Jackson was excellent at first base, making two defensive gems.
“Overall, a great team effort,” concluded Whitting. “I’m proud of our club today.”
The Cougars return to action on Saturday in the Puerto Rico Challenge when they will face Boston College at Noon CT.
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