Baseball

Cougars prevent UAB sweep with late-game heroics

Maybe someone hid them out in Chappell Hill amongst the bluebonnets, or maybe someone hid them in Hermann Park in between the crowds at the Japan Festival. Wherever they were, the Cougars could not find their bats until Sunday.

Through the first two games, the Cougars scored just two runs, but that changed Sunday. The Cougars cranked out eight runs on nine hits and literally squeezed out an 8-7 win against UAB at Cougar Field.

With UH (17-17, 4-2 Conference USA) down 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Kyle Bacak struck out swinging for the first out. Landon Appling came up to bat and was hit by a pitch. Jake Runte followed with a single to left, and the leftfielder misplayed the ball allowing Appling to score and tie the game. Runte advanced all the way to third on the error.

M.P. Cokinos came to the plate with the go-ahead run standing on third. After getting the signs from the third base coach, the Cougars executed a perfect suicide squeeze. Cokinos laid down the bunt and Runte simultaneously hustled in from third to give UH the lead.

“I just wanted to get it down,” Cokinos said. “I went up there, got the sign, saw the pitch and put it down.”

The Cougars started by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. UH increased its lead to 5-0 with John Cannon’s two-run homer. By the end of the fifth frame, the Cougars led 6-0.

Then it started to head south. UAB (18-13, 6-3) started to get hits off starter Mo Wiley and those hits turned into runs. Wiley gave up four runs on four hits and was pulled from the game after six innings.

Lead evaporates

Relief pitcher Dakota Dill did not fare better. In one inning of work, he allowed three runs, giving the Blazers a 7-6 lead.

Jordan Mannisto entered the game in the eighth and put an end to the Blazers’ scoring, but the damage was done as the lead switched sides.

Despite all the drama and some alterations to the starting lineup, the Cougars remained resilient.

“It’s amazing what you can do when you play hard,” head coach Todd Whitting said. “Will can beat skill. We were able to win because we had more will than they did and it showed all the way through the game.

“We shook up the lineup and that added a little energy to our ball club tonight. Those guys that got the opportunities came in and played real hard.”

Offense struggles in two losses

Saturday’s contest featured another dismal performance from the Cougars’ offense. For the second straight game, UH was limited to one run and lost 6-1.

Starter Jordan Lewis went six-and-one-third innings allowing two runs on one hit while striking out five batters.

UAB pitcher Ryan Woolley pitched a complete game and held the Cougars to three hits, with the lone run coming in the ninth inning.

The Cougars dropped the series opener 10-1 Friday. UAB scored its 10 runs on 11 hits as opposed to UH’s one run on six hits.

Starting pitcher Matt Creel had a rough outing, going four-and-two-thirds innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits while striking out two.

UAB came out of the gates swinging, scoring two runs in the first inning, including a one-run home run by Patrick Palmeiro — his fourth of the season.

The Blazers would not stop the scoring there. They scored six runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth, giving them an insurmountable 10-1 lead.

The Cougars’ sole offensive highlight occurred in the third inning when Codey Morehouse connected on a home run to left field.

After this weekend’s action, the Cougars are now in a four-way tie for first in C-USA with UAB, Rice (23-13, 6-3) and Southern Miss (23-8, 6-3).

UH will be back in action at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday against Sam Houston State at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville.

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