Junior first baseman Ryan Hernandez launched his eighth home run of the season in UH baseball’s 6-5 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday. | Andy Yanez/The Cougar
The Cougars closed out the home portion of the schedule dropping three out of four to Cincinnati over the weekend.
The Bearcats outscored the Cougars 29-11 in the series, as Cincinnati scored at least five runs in each game.
Additionally, errors, which have plagued UH all year, continued to haunt the Cougars over the weekend and played a major factor in the overall outcome of the series. In four games, UH committed six errors which led to five Cincinnati runs.
UH’s ace Robert Gasser, who had been the one constant in a Cougars pitching staff that had many issues, struggled in Friday’s series opener. The junior left-hander allowed six earned runs, the most Gasser’s surrendered on the year, on eight hits including two home runs which allowed the Bearcats to cruise to a 10-3 victory.
Sophomore outfielder Brandon Uhse was Houston’s main source of offense, driving in two runs that included a solo shot to left field in the first inning to lead off the game.
In the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, errors and cold bats haunted the Cougars as they were shutout 7-0.
The lone UH win of the series came in dramatic fashion on Saturday as the Cougars overcame an early 3-0 deficit to walk it off on an RBI single from sophomore infielder Ian McMillan in the bottom of the ninth.
Junior first baseman Ryan Hernandez launched a solo home run to left field in the fourth followed by freshman utility player Samuel Tormos first career collegiate home run in the fifth to help lead the UH offense.
Sophomore right-handed reliever Derrick Cherry came out of the bullpen and pitched three innings of one-run, five-strikeout baseball, earning the win in UH’s 6-5 victory.
Besides Uhse’s second leadoff home run of the weekend in Sunday’s series finale, not much went right for UH. The Cougars’ pitching struggles continued and the offense failed to do much at the plate in their 10-3 loss.
UH, now 17-26 (5-15 in AAC play), ends the year with an 11-13 record at home.
