In game two against Tulane, the Cougars were shutout, and sophomore Jared Triolo failed to reach base for the first time in 31 straight games. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar
In New Orleans, the baseball team was able to take the last game of a double header Sunday against the Tulane Green Wave, but the series had already been decided as the Cougars had dropped the first two games.
The first game of the series was a heartbreaker, as the Cougars blew a huge lead in the final three innings. Despite owning leads of 12-3 at the end of the fourth inning and 16-8 going into the bottom of the eighth, the Green Wave took advantage of the Cougars’ relief pitchers, scoring 12 runs in just 2.2 combined innings pitched from relief pitchers senior Joey Pulido and sophomores Fred Villarreal and Carter Henry.
Freshman outfielder Drew Minter and senior shortstop Cooper Coldiron had four RBIs each for the Cougars, and the 16 runs were a season high, but they were not enough to prevent the loss. Tulane scored nine runs in the final two innings to secure the win, 17-16.
The Cougars were held scoreless in the first game of Sunday’s double header as they went on to lose 2-0 to the Green Wave. Coldiron and senior second baseman Connor Hollis registered one base hit each, but there was no production outside of them. Tulane was able to score twice off of eight hits. The Green Wave got the last of its runs in the sixth inning after a throwing error allowed them to score.
This was the first game of the year that UH was not able to put any points on the board. Sophomore third baseman Jared Triolo had reached base in 31 straight games before this one. Triolo was put away three times to end the streak. Junior starting pitcher Aaron Fletcher registered the second complete game of his career and threw five strikeouts but could not avoid the loss.
In the second game on Sunday, Houston was able to finish the series with a 5-3 victory over Tulane. Junior starting pitcher Ryan Randel threw a career-high six innings and matched his career high of seven strikeouts. UH started the scoring with three runs in the seventh inning from two bases-loaded walks and an RBI single from Triolo.
The game-winning scores came off of a two run RBI single by sophomore catcher Nick Slaughter. He brought in Hollis and Triolo to secure the win in the ninth inning. Hollis, Triolo, Slaughter and sophomore first baseman Lael Lockheart Jr. all finished with RBIs in the second game with Hollis going 2-2 at the plate.
The Cougars return home for a matchup against Sam Houston State on Tuesday for the first game of the Don Sanders Cup. They will follow up that match on Wednesday with a game in Huntsville that was rescheduled from earlier in the season. First pitches are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
