UH baseball took two of three on the road at Wichita State over the weekend to improve to 17-15 overall. | Xavier Rosales/The Cougar
UH baseball went 2-1 over the weekend against Wichita State, improving to 17-15 on the season and 4-2 in American Athletic Conference play.
Game 1
In the first game of the series, UH took command early, scoring two runs in the second via a throwing error and a fly-out from redshirt senior shortstop Ian McMillan.
Down 2-0, Wichita State leveled the score with a two-run home run to center field in the third inning.
UH once again asserted itself, this time in the fourth inning. First, junior catcher Anthony Tulimero scored on a center-field fly-out by sophomore infielder Brandon Burckel. Off a fielding error, junior utility player Justin Murray was able to score a fourth run for the Cougars.
In the fifth inning, a Tulimero single brought sophomore outfielder Malachi Lott home.
With the Cougars up 5-2, Wichita State once again leveled the score on a home run, this one to left field to tie the game at 5-5.
After a scoreless sixth inning for both teams, UH put three runs on the board in the eighth inning, including two on a homer to left field from McMillan.
Wichita State was able to put a single run on the board in the bottom half of the eighth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Cougars as UH took an 8-6 victory.
Game 2
The second game of the weekend series proved much more challenging for the Cougars.
This time, it was Wichita State who got on the board first, scoring two runs in the second inning on a triple to left-center field.
Neither side was able to score throughout the middle stretch of the game; Wichita State’s lead stayed 2-0 until the seventh inning when the Shockers scorde two more runs to take their lead to 4-0.
Junior outfielder Cary Arbolida scored for the Cougars off a fly-out to give UH its first run of the game in the eighth inning, though it proved much too late.
The Shockers scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning to seal their victory on Friday evening, leveling the series at one game apiece.
Game 3
Saturday’s series-closing performance was one of resounding dominance for the away side.
From the first inning, the Cougars were off to a quick start; three Cougars made it home in the inning, propelled by a left-field double by Tulimero and a right-field single from Murray.
Neither side scored for the next series of innings until UH scored a fourth run in the fifth inning.
Later in the inning, Wichita State would score their first run of the game, cutting into the UH lead.
The Shockers made deeper inroads into UH’s advantage in the following inning, when they scored two more runs, albeit unearned.
The seventh inning was when the game opened wide for UH. With the score 4-3 entering the inning, UH made it 6-3 thanks to a left-field line double from junior infielder Zach Arnold. After that, Arnold made it home on a single from junior utility player Alex Lopez, and then Lopez made it home on a single from Tulimero.
A three-run homer from Murray expanded the UH lead even higher up to 11-3, and another left-field line double – this time from Lott – brought home three more runs, upping the tally to 14-3.
UH saw three more runners find their way home on a second home run of the night – this time from Arbolida – to end the game 17-3 in just seven innings, sealing the three-game weekend series in UH’s favor.
