The Cougars have proven they have a flair for the dramatic this season, and Sunday’s 8-7 10-inning loss to Texas (6-2) was no exception.
With Houston (4-4) down 5-7 in the ninth, senior first baseman Bryan Pounds stepped to the plate with a runner on first and an opportunity to tie the game. He did just that, hitting his second home run of the night to make it 7-7 and force the game into extra innings.
"I knew I was going to see a first pitch off-speed," Pounds said. "They were just flipping in off-speed on the first pitch, so I had extra help on that one."
It would be the closest the Cougars would get, as Texas freshman designated hitter Connor Rowe, with the bases loaded, hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th in his first collegiate at bat.
Longhorns’ freshman pitcher Cole Green dominated Houston for most of the night, sitting down 14 consecutive Cougars at one point. Houston senior left fielder Jake Stewart ended the streak in the seventh with a single to left field, followed by a double by senior second baseman Ryan Lormand.
A walk to Pounds, a single by sophomore catcher Austin Goolsby, another walk to senior center fielder Bryan Tully and a single by freshman pitcher/right fielder Chase Dempsay brought the Cougars within two runs, setting up the ninth inning heroics.
Noble appreciates the team’s resilience, but expects more."I think we have a tough crew," Noble said. "What we obviously need to get better at is throwing strikes. … Against a quality team, a ranked team, you can’t be doing that."
Saturday was another close game for the Cougars, who lost 8-5 to Oklahoma (5-2). On a 2-1 count in the top of the 10th inning, sophomore closer John Touchton gave up the deciding three-run homerun to Oklahoma sophomore left fielder Spencer Selby.
The Cougars had a 5-4 lead headed into the ninth, but a home run by Oklahoma junior catcher J.T. Wise to lead off the ninth led to the loss.
"We had multiple opportunities to put this game away early," Noble said. "We just didn’t get it done. We left too many guys on base."
In Friday’s battle with Texas Tech (3-5), Tully led the Cougars to a 5-4 win. He finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk, getting hit by a pitch and hitting a home run in the eighth inning to give Houston the lead.
He also had a great game in the field, saving a run in the fourth inning and coming in to close the game in the ninth inning. Tully enjoys having multiple roles.
"Sometimes it can get nerve-wracking," Tully said. "But when I came here, coach Noble said that’s what he expected of me – to be a two-way player – and it’s something that I’ve really learned to enjoy and I love doing it."
The Cougars finished the Houston College Classic 1-2. Pounds, Stewart and sophomore pitcher Wes Musick (2-0) were all named to the 2008 Houston College Classic All-Tournament Team.
