Tag: Oklahoma Sooners

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.

Advertisement

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.

Run-Rule Ends Cougars Road Trip

Steven Rivas faces Oklahoma on Sunday in Norman, OK

A disappointing road trip to Norman, Oklahoma came to a close on Sunday as the Sooners swept their three game home series with a 12-2 defeat of the Houston Cougars in a seven-inning run-rule shortened game.

Ryan Hernandez was not in the lineup at all in the weekend series with Oklahoma . . . Ryan has not appeared in a game since last Tuesday when he had a single pinch-hit appearance against Texas A&M.

After being held scoreless through two innings, the Sooners opened up the scoring with four runs in the third inning, capped by a two-run home run to left by Conor McKenna . . . Ben Sears rebounded nicely with a quick fourth inning facing only three batters, striking out one.

The Cougars put together a two-run fifth inning started on a one-out single by Brad Burckel, who moments later stole second . . . Brandon Uhse hit an infield single to third which scored Burckel from third . . . After a single by Will Pendergrass, Steven Rivas doubled deep into the left field corner, Uhse scored easily, but Will Pendergrass was thrown out at home on a nice relay from the third baseman . . . The scoring had cut the Sooner lead down to 4-2.

But the Sooners had a rebound of their own when they exploded for five runs in the fifth keyed by a Brandon Zaragoza two-run home run giving the Sooners a 9-2 lead . . . Ryne Huggins relieved Sears with two outs and ended the inning without further damage.

The Sooners added a run in the sixth on a solo home run, and one-out later Huggins would be relieved by Layne Looney . . . Looney issued two walks and was quickly relieved by Sean Bretz, who also walked two on his way out of the game . . . Maddux Miller entered the game and walked one, the fifth straight Sooner, before getting an inning-ending fly out to center, but Oklahoma had taken a 12-2 lead.

The Cougars had a chance to extend to the game in the seventh with the run-rule in effect for a Sunday game, but after putting runners on first and second courtesy of two lead off walks, a double-play and a strikeout ended the frame and the game as Oklahoma took the game 12-2 and swept the three game series.

Brad Burckel was 2-for-2 in the Sunday contest while Steven Rivas was 2-for-3, the only two Cougars with multiple hits, accounting for four of the team’s seven total hits in the defeat . . . The bottom three spots in the batting order totaled three hits and two walks in the seven inning game, this is always a good sign for the Cougars when the bottom of the order is getting on base, but the top and middle of the order is hampered with the absence of Ryan Hernandez.

The Cougars will now work their way back to Houston where they will host a double-header against Prairie View A&M on Wednesday . . . Look for right-hander Blake Schultz to get one of the starts on Wednesday . . . First pitch is at 2pm from Schroeder Park. –

Cougars Avoid Shutout Late, Drop Game 2 in Norman

Andy Belcik faces the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday in Norman, OK

The Houston Cougars had no answers for the questions the Oklahoma Sooners were posing on Saturday afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma as the Sooners took game two of the weekend by a final score of 19-1.

For the second straight day, Ryan Hernandez was not anchoring the lineup, still nursing an injury . . . Hernandez injured himself on the final play of last Sunday’s win in San Marcos, and has only had one pinch-hitting since then, that came on Tuesday against Texas A&M.

After neither team scored in the first frame, Oklahoma took a modest 1-0 in the bottom of the second on Houston starter Cameron Prayer, making his first Saturday start of the season, but his fourth start overall.

Things unraveled at that point when a four run third was followed by a five run fourth, both of which preceded a six run fifth as Oklahoma took a commanding 16-0 lead.

Oklahoma starter Jake Bennett went six strong innings allowing just two hits and striking out six on an efficient seventy-six pitches . . . While the Sooners bullpen kept Houston off the scoreboard, Oklahoma was adding to their lead on a three-run home run in the seventh to extend the lead to 19-0.

Houston finally got a run across the plate in the eighth when Brad Burckel singled to score Luke Almendarez from third to make the score 19-1 . . . Almendarez was on base after his second single of the afternoon, he was 2-for-3 in the game and the only Cougars with more than one hit.

Carter Henry pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Cougars, he was the only pitcher that Oklahoma did not score on . . . Henry allowed two hits, as the Sooners collected twenty total hits on Saturday.

The Cougars will try to salvage a game on this road trip when they face-off against the Sooners again on Sunday . . . Ben Sears will be on the mound for Houston . . . First pitch will be at noon. –

Gasser Fans 11, Cougars Fall in Norman

Tyler Bielamowicz faces Oklahoma starter Wyatt Olds in Norman on Friday

The Oklahoma Sooners welcomed the Houston Cougars to Norman, Oklahoma with a 7-2 defeat on Friday night . . . A close contest at the middle point of the game, turned into a runaway shortly thereafter.

Robert Gasser (2-2) took the mound for Todd Whitting’s team and despite eventually being tagged with the loss, he kept the game close and struck out eleven Sooners in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Tyler Bielamowicz hit a home run on the first pitch of the second inning from Oklahoma starter Wyatt Olds to put the Cougars in front 1-0, their only lead of the game.

The Sooners tied the game in the second after two singles and a fielder’s choice left the bases loaded . . . A batter hit by a pitch scored the Sooners one and only run in the inning, an unearned run against Gasser . . . Sooners took a 2-1 lead when the first batter of the third inning homered to right.

Brandon Uhse hit a triple with one out in the sixth, but the Cougars could not get him home.

Sooners added three runs in the sixth when they loaded the bases before two singles plated three runs.

The Cougars got a run closer in the seventh when Ian McMillan doubled with one out, and after a wild pitch moved him to third, Will Pendergrass brought him home on a sacrifice fly to left field to get Houston to within 5-2.

Brandon Uhse doubled down the third base line with one out in the eighth, but the Cougars were unable to score him after that . . . Uhse 2-for-4 and was the only Cougar with more than one hit, and he accounted for two of the four Houston extra-base hits.

Jaycob Deese, who relieved Robert Gasser in the sixth, went 2 1/3 innings getting the game into the eighth when he exited with one out in favor of Maddux Miller . . . Miller closed out the inning with the Sooners leading 7-2.

Ryan Hernandez did not start and he did not see a pinch-hit appearance as he did against the Aggies on Tuesday . . . Hernandez continues to be nagged by a muscle injury he sustained last Sunday on the final play against Texas State . . . It goes without saying, the Cougars lineup looks a lot different when Ryan is absent.

If the Cougars are to continue their road series win streak, they will have to begin with a win on Saturday when the two teams match-up again . . . Cameron Prayer will be on the mound making his first Saturday start and his second straight weekend start . . . First pitch on Saturday is at 2pm. –