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Sports

UH could not find offense needed for win

Lincoln leaves two runners stranded in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 loss to the Aggies

by RONNIE TURNER
The Daily Cougar

It was easy going for UH getting runners on base against Texas A&M freshman starter Kyle Thebeau on Tuesday night at Cougar Field. It was so easy that the Cougars managed to put men on in each of the first six innings. Unfortunately for Houston, those base runners were not quite able to return home after reaching base and the batters who came behind them didn't do much to help the cause.

UH took itself out of Tuesday's game by stranding 11 runners, none bigger than the two who were left standing on base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Cougars trailing by a run, with slumping junior designated hitter Brad Lincoln at the plate. Lincoln lifted a deep fly ball to right field off junior reliever Jason Meyer, putting a fitting end to the contest as Texas A&M slipped out of town with a close 3-2 win.

"That's been the story of our season to this point, (struggling) to drive home runs," head coach Rayner Noble said. "This (game) was just an extension of what we've been doing all year."

"It's a little frustrating because our pitching has been extremely good. I know (Texas A&M) is facing kind of the same (situation). They've been pitching lights out and just haven't driven runs in. It was probably just a perfect ballgame for the two of us -- a 3-2 game -- and people just struggling to drive in runs with really good pitching. Hitting just kind of comes and goes, and all we need is for a couple of guys to just get hot in the lineup and start driving some runs in."

Good pitching was the one thing that both teams could draw from the game. Pitcher Thebeau of Texas A&M (2-2, 1.74 ERA) was picked on early and often by the Cougars (13-12), but managed to pitch his way out of trouble each time. He tossed seven efficient innings, allowing only one unearned run on seven hits and three walks, while striking out seven to earn his first victory in over a month. Meyer pitched one third of an inning to pick up his first save of the season. 

Thebeau's counterpart, senior southpaw Matt Farrington, (1-4, 4.30 ERA) picked up the loss after going 5.2 innings and giving up three runs on five hits with five strikeouts. The Aggies (15-9, 0-3 Big 12) roughed him up in the second inning, but Farrington was able to settle down after that to produce a decent outing. Farrington was pulled in the sixth inning, but his replacement, junior right-hander Shea Hancock, didn't yield an inch, shutting out Texas A&M over the remaining 3.1 innings; allowing only two hits and striking out two. 

"Farrington pitched a good game, and Hancock did an outstanding job," Noble said. "It was just a good ballgame."

The Aggies struck first in the top of the second, after Farrington walked senior Ryan Hill with one out. Farrington struck out Josh Stinson swinging on a 0-2 pitch, but the next batter, freshman Kyle Colligan, would prove to be a much tougher task. Colligan, who entered the game batting 1-for-7 (.143) on the season, took a 1-2 offering from Farrington and yanked it over the wall in left field for a two-run shot that broke a scoreless tie and put the Aggies ahead. Colligan finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Cougars had a golden opportunity to put some serious runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of that frame after freshman Luis Flores and junior Josh Stirneman reached base to start the inning. Flores was thrown out while trying to steal third base, and Thebeau induced a strikeout and a fly ball from the next to two batters to end the threat. 

UH cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Texas A&M responded with a run in the top of the fifth to increase its lead to 3-1. 

The two teams continued to toss up zeros until the bottom of the ninth, when senior Isa Garcia drove in junior Jake Stewart with a single to center with two outs to cut the lead to 3-2, and junior Dustin Kingsbury singled to left to put two runners on for Lincoln. Texas A&M skipper Rob Childress then proceeded to call to the bullpen for Meyer, who took care of the rest.

The Cougars will take two days off before opening Conference USA play against Marshall in a three-game series at 7 p.m. Friday on Cougar Field. The opening starter will most likely be Lincoln (4-1, 2.17 ERA).

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