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Sports

UH baseball posts football-like scores

Cougars win series against No. 22 Southern Miss. 
after batting in 44 runs in three games

by RONNIE TURNER
The Daily Cougar

Pitching was not a key concern for UH in the first two games of its three-game series against Southern Miss because of the multitude of offense supplied by its batters. In those games combined, the Cougars recorded 37 runs off 46 hits, and enjoyed comfortable leads in each contest, despite the absence of dominant pitching.

However, when the Cougars needed their pitching to be at its best in Sunday's series finale, their hopes were dashed. After being humiliated 24-7 and 13-5 in the first two games, the Golden Eagles returned the favor, battering the UH bullpen in the late innings en route to snatching a come-from-behind 14-7 victory and preventing the series sweep. 

UH (24-15, 9-3 C-USA) was ignited to an early 5-0 lead after senior outfielder Matt Weston crushed a three-run homer to center field in the third inning, but Southern Miss (26-12, 5-4) would not be easily denied. The Golden Eagles picked up three runs in the third and one in the fifth before hitting the jackpot against sophomore Aaron Brown and junior Clayton Boone in the seventh. Brown put on the first four batters he faced, leaving the bases loaded for Boone who gave up a three-run double to Kevin Coker to give Southern Miss a commanding 9-6 lead. Brown (1-3, 7.09 ERA) was charged with the loss.

The Cougars got their last run of the day from a solo home run from senior second baseman Isa Garcia. Garcia had a monster series at the plate, going 10-for-13 with eight runs scored, a homer and four RBIs to raise his batting average to .331.

The first two games of the series were offensive shootouts, though UH had the upper hand in each contest. In Saturday's 13-5 victory, the Cougars knocked out 18 hits, paced by Garcia who went 4-for-5 with a walk and two RBIs. In relief of senior southpaw Matt Farrington, sophomore Ricky Hargrove (5-3, 2.48) shut out Southern Miss over the final 5.1 innings to pick up the victory.

The Cougars were even more lethal on Friday night, battering the Southern Miss pitching staff for 28 hits en route to walloping the Golden Eagles 24-7. Southern Miss starter Scott Massey (5-2, 4.44) didn't have his best stuff that night, and UH took advantage of it, notching seven runs (five earned) off him before he was pulled after only a third of an inning. UH junior Brad Lincoln (8-1, 1.78) was not overpowering but didn't need to be on this night, notching his seventh straight win after going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. 

UH will get a slight rest before taking on Texas A&M at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in College Station. 

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