Sports
 

Cougars win final game vs. No. 8 LBS

by Tom Carpenter
The Daily Cougar

The Cougars went back to basics Sunday to wrest Game 3 from Long Beach State 4-2 and avoid a three-game sweep by the No. 8 ranked Dirtbags.

Long Beach State (9-3) won the first two games of the three-game series while holding the Cougars (3-7) to two runs. But the Cougars out-hit the Dirtbags 7-3 on Sunday and capitalized on clutch hitting, savvy base running and perfect execution on a suicide squeeze in the fourth inning when they scratched out three runs to give freshman starter Brad Lincoln a 4-0 lead after four innings.

"The real story was our pitching did a very nice job today," baseball head coach Raynor Noble said. "Aside from (sophomore Travis Mays) coming in and walking a couple of guys."

Lincoln, who earned his first victory at UH, surrendered one hit in five innings. The Clute native struck out five and walked three. Lincoln walked the lead-off hitter to open the game and then retired 10 Dirtbags in a row before he walked the lead-off batter to open the fourth.

The Cougars struck first in the second inning when junior Rob Johnson doubled off Dirtbag starter Jason Vargas (2-2) and sophomore Brett Logan knocked him in with a two-out single.

They widened the gap to 4-0 in the fourth when senior third basemen Nick Bott hit a dying quail just beyond the reach of the lunging Dirtbag shortstop to open the inning. Johnson followed with a double down the right field line that moved Bott to third.

Senior first baseman Thanos Papavasiliou dropped a perfect bunt down the first base line and Bott, bolting for home on the pitch, slid under the catcher's tag to score the Cougars second run.

Logan followed with a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases with nobody out. Sophomore leftfielder Travis Tully bounced an easy double play ball to the Dirtbag pitcher, but an errant throw to the plate by Vargas allowed Johnson to score.

Papavasiliou crossed the plate with the Cougars' final run on junior shortstop Stuart Musslewhite's towering sacrifice fly to deep right.

Senior reliever Brandon Roznovsky notched his second save with a three-up, three-down ninth and the Cougars ended their four-game losing streak.

"The way we're struggling right now in pretty much all facets, it was good to see a quality pitched game from Lincoln," Noble said. "Once we get our bats rolling again we'll feel a little more comfortable about what we're doing. Right now we're just trying to eke out a run any way we can."

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