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Cougar Comeback Spells Doom For Baseball In 2-1 Loss To Houston
April 21, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format
METAIRIE, La. - Sophomore right-hander Shooter Hunt struck out six in 7.0 scoreless innings and sophomore catcher Jared Dyer went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, but it was not enough as the Tulane University baseball team dropped a 2-1 decision to Conference USA foe Houston Saturday evening at Zephyr Field. Tulane was one out away from tying the series as the Green Wave clutched a 1-0 lead going into the final stanza. But with pinch runner Austin Goolsby at second base and senior closer Daniel Latham (2-2) on the mound, Cougars' right fielder Brian Tully hit a sinking line drive that got away from a diving Nate Simon in center for a double to tie the game. In the ensuing at-bat, Houston shortstop Bryan Pounds hit an RBI-single to almost the exact same spot to plate the Tully for the game-winning run. The Green Wave put the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth when sophomore right fielder Aja Barto poked a single through the left side of the infield, but Tully took the mound from there and posted a strikeout to earn his third save of the season. "It was one of the tougher ones we'll have," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "Once again, we're not a club that puts crooked numbers up there against good pitching. We've seen good pitching the last two days - not average pitching, but good pitching - and our kids have a tough time scoring."
Saturday's win by the Cougars, along with their 7-0 series-opening victory on Friday, clinched the series for Houston. Houston's victory marks just the second time since the Cougars joined C-USA in 1997 that the road team won the series between the two teams, joining the 2000 Green Wave who claimed a 2-1 series victory at Cougar Field. With the loss, Tulane falls to 28-13 on the year and 8-6 in C-USA action. Houston, meanwhile, improves to 21-17 overall and 8-3 in league play. Lost in the Cougars' comeback was the performance by Hunt. Entering the game with a team-best 2.18 ERA, Hunt kept the Houston offense off balance all day by mixing up inside and outside fastballs along with a sharp-breaking curve. He scattered six hits during his time on the mound, and pitched his way out some jams. Houston failed to score after having two on and two out in the third, left runners on the corners in the sixth and stranded a potential tying run at third base with only one away in the seventh. Houston out-hit the Green Wave, 9-6, but the difference in the ballgame was offensive execution as Tulane twice failed to get the bunt down and stranded seven runners on base. Of the seven stranded, three were in scoring position as the Green Wave had two on and only one out in the second, left a runner at second with only one out in the third and squandered a leadoff double by senior third baseman Tim Guidry in the fourth. "With Mac (Warren McFadden) and Emo (Brad Emaus) still not 100 percent running wise, it makes it tough to do any action," Jones said. "But they're the best that we've got and they've got to be in the lineup. The problem is when we had bunt situations twice tonight, we didn't get the job done and we didn't move any runners along. Anybody who pays attention to our club understands the issues. "Offensively, we have to execute. When we execute our short game, our pitching and defense are normally good enough for us to be okay. Tonight, our pitching and defense was outstanding. Unfortunately, we leave the margin of error so slim and that's why you have 27 outs. It's not going to work for you every night, and tonight, it caught us." Tulane scored its only run of the day in the third when Dyer roped a leadoff triple down the first-base line and scored on a one-out double down the third-base line off the bat of sophomore second baseman Seth Henry. That would be all Houston starter Wes Musick allowed, however, as the freshman lefty fanned eight while scattering five hits and three walks in a solid 7.0 innings. Shea Hancock (2-1) gave the Cougars 1.2 scoreless innings of reliever to earn the win, and Tully slammed the door with a strikeout in the game's final at-bat. Three of Houston's nine hits came in the ninth, including first baseman Josh Stirneman's leadoff single through the right side of the infield. Stirneman moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Luis Flores before being lifted in favor of Goolsby. Latham struck out centerfielder Zak Presley for the second out of the inning, and the Green Wave nearly caught a break as Goolsby was leaning back toward second on Tully's game-tying double to center. Simon came in on the ball, but his diving attempt came up short to spark the Cougar celebration. Tulane and Houston close out the weekend on Sunday with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. Senior right-hander Brandon Gomes is slated to take the mound for the Green Wave, and he will be matched up against Houston rookie right-hander John Touchton. The Zephyr Field Ticket Office is located on the third-base side of stadium and will open approximately two hours before first pitch for each Tulane home game. |
 
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