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Sports

Houston loses close one to Cardinals

Shaky bullpen and errors lead to 5-4 comeback 
by the Lamar Cardinals Tuesday night

by RONNIE TURNER
The Daily Cougar

There's just something about the UH bullpen and pressure: the two haven't made a good combination together, so far this season. On Tuesday night against Lamar, the bullpen failed to hold onto a slim 3-2 lead late in the game, allowing three runs over the final two innings, allowing the Cardinals to rally for a 5-4 win at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont. 

"It's just a hard way to go down when you can't field the ball and throw strikes when you need to," head coach Rayner Noble said. "Our defense was very shady at the eighth inning. We had a chance to turn a routine double play, but (senior second baseman Isa Garcia) dropped the ball and we didn't get any outs from it." 

Junior pitcher Clayton Boone (0-1) was the unlucky pitcher this time, getting the loss after giving up two hits and an unearned run in one-third of an inning, but Garcia's bobbled grounder didn't help his case. Clayton gave up the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth after allowing the first three batters he faced to reach base, and walking pinch-hitter Andrew Leal on four straight pitches with two outs.

UH sophomore starter Ricky Hargrove left the game after tossing six and two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts and three walks. He was pulled from the game in favor of junior Shea Hancock with the Cougars ahead by one run. 

"He did a great job," Noble said. "When your starter can take you six plus innings and hang on to a lead, (that's) a fabulous job. He made pitches when he needed to. The bullpen just didn't get the job done."

The Cardinals (7-6) struck first in the game, giving the Cougars (7-6) a taste of its own medicine by putting together a rally with two outs in an inning. 

With two outs in the top of the third, the Cougars loaded the bases with two outs against Cardinal starter Brain Needham, and junior designated hitter Brad Lincoln took it from there, yanking a single to right field to drive in freshman Luis Flores and senior Matt Weston, giving the Cougars a 2-1 lead. Lincoln finished the game 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

UH increased its advantage to 3-1 on junior Josh Stirneman's solo home run to left field. In that inning, Matt Lambeth took a 1-1 offering from Hancock and lambasted it into left-center for a two-run shot that gave Lamar a 4-3 lead. The Cougars evened up the score with a run in the top of the eight before their bullpen and defense collapsed in the bottom of the inning.

The Cougars will continue their short road trip by facing Louisiana State in Baton Rouge, La. at 6:30 p.m. Friday night to begin a three-game series. 

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