Sports

Cougars tame the Bulls in 3

Cougar Sports Staff

Note to self: Donit count the Cougars out at the midpoint of the season.

UH fell to a season-low four games under .500 with a 7-6 loss to Rice on March 19. At 9-13, the Cougars bared little resemblance to the 2002 team that won 48 games and was one win away from advancing to the College World Series. But that was then.

Brian Viney/The Daily Cougar

The Cougars have won 17 of their last 23 games (including seven of their last eight) and have gone 13-5 in 18 Conference USA games (including five series wins). At 26-19, UH appears more like a team on a mission than the one that stumbled out of the gate. Part of the mission appears to be reclaiming their conference crown.

The Cougars took another step toward that by emasculating the South Florida Bulls 12-7 in extra innings Sunday. UH won the season series 2-1 in Tampa, Fla., and improved to 14-7 in-conference. But they nearly gave the game (and the series) away.

The Cougars took a 6-5 lead into the eighth inning but junior pitcher Gene Flores gave up a sacrifice fly to USFis Devin Ivany that tied the game. The Bulls loaded the bases and threatened to win the series but sophomore pitcher Garrett Mock came on in relief to keep the Bulls from adding any more runs.

The Cougars re-took the lead with a safety squeeze when junior third baseman Hyung Cho slid under the tag at home. The Cougars then loaded the bases with two outs. Junior catcher Nick Bott blasted a three-run double to give UH a four-run cushion.

Junior outfielder Michael Bourn and Cho each hit an RBI to give the Cougars a 12-6 lead. Mock finished out the game and gave up a run in the bottom of the 10th. The win assured the Cougars of their first series win against the Bulls in two years.

Cho led the Cougars with four hits, one home run and three RBIs as UH out-hit the Bulls 15-12. Junior second baseman Cole Bruce collected three hits, one home run and an RBI; Bott went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and sophomore shortstop Stuart Musslewhite added two hits and one RBI.

The Cougars could have swept the series if the Bulls hadnit rallied in Game 2 of a doubleheader Saturday.

UH held a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning and took a 7-5 lead into the seventh. But a four-run outburst by the Bulls in the bottom of the frame put USF up 9-7. The Bulls added a run in the eighth and kept UH from doing any more damage to earn a 10-7 win.

Junior first baseman Thanos Papavasiliou, Bruce and Musslewhite each had three hits. Bruce also had a double, a home run and two RBIs.

The Cougars nearly gave up a solid performance from junior pitcher Brad Sullivan in Game 1. Sullivan gave up just one hit and struck out 12 batters in eight innings but he didnit earn the decision.

Sophomore relief pitcher Ryan Wagner gave up the tying run and blew a save opportunity in the ninth inning. But he picked up the win after Musslewhite hit a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning. He finished out the bottom of the frame as the Cougars won 5-3.

The Cougars will next host Texas-San Antonio at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The game was added to the schedule after a Feb. 21 rain-out with Louisiana State couldnit be made up.

UH will travel to Waco to finish its season series against Baylor on Wednesday. The Cougars are 0-2 against the Bears this year. The game can be heard on the radio at KAXF 88.3 FM or over the Internet at www.uhcougars.com.

 Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu