Sports
 

UH splits during break

By Tom Carpenter
The Daily Cougar

The Boys of Summer broke even during Spring Break, losing two out of three games to No. 18 Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss. after taking Game 2 in the Silver Glove Series against cross-town rival Rice, evening that series at one game apiece.

Against the Golden Eagles on Sunday, UH (8-14, 1-2 in Conference USA) grabbed an early 3-0 lead that held until the eighth when USM tied the game with a two-out RBI single. 

USM (17-3, 2-1) claimed the series with the come-from-behind 4-3 win when the team scratched a run off UH sophomore reliever Kevin Roberts in the bottom of the ninth. 

Roberts surrendered a one-out single and the runner advanced to second on a wild pitch. The next USM hitter was intentionally walked to set up a force situation, but Ryan Frith slammed a line drive into right center to drive in the winning run.

Roberts and freshman shortstop Patrick Gaylord led the Cougar hit parade with three hits each. Sophomore Travis Tully and senior Patrick Breen chipped in with two hits apiece.

Senior Matt Varner won his team-leading third game Saturday when the Cougars hammered the Golden Eagles 10-6 on Saturday. 

Tully and Gaylord had three hits each to lead the 12-hit Cougar attack. Brett Cooley knocked in four runs with two hits, one of them a home run.

The Golden Eagles clubbed five extra base hits, including two homers, to take an 8-3.win in the series opener Friday.

UH starter Cooley (1-2) took the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits in five and a third innings.

The Cougars evened the Silver Glove Series with Rice Tuesday at Cougar Field despite being out-hit by the Owls 7-5. 

UH starter Garrett Mock held the sixth-ranked Owls (15-5) to two runs in seven innings and relievers Matt Varner, Travis Mays and Brandon Roznovsky blanked the Owl hitters to preserve the Cougar's 3-2 victory.

The Cougars will be back in action Friday when the travel to Midland to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Cougars will be seeking to avenge their first loss of the season, the Red Raider's 11-inning 12-7 win during the Minute Maid Park Classic.

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