Jelkin, photographed here at the Astros Foundation Classic, recorded career highs despite the team’s 1-2 loss. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar
Houston’s twelve-series winning streak ended with their 1-2 Thursday-Saturday meeting with BYU. The road matchup marked the two Cougars’ first time squaring off in school history.
Game 1
Houston extended their winning streak to six games with a 9-2 win. The Cougars asserted dominance from the jump. A triple from freshman designated hitter Ace Reese scored two of three first-inning runs for the Cougars. Houston’s bats stayed hot into the second Senior infielder Jake Rainess hit his second homer of the season. A poor showing for BYU on the mound allowed three Cougars to cross the plate on bases-loaded walks in the fourth and a wild pitch in the sixth. Senior infielder Harold Coll recorded two doubles for two RBIs, while Justin Murray tallied hits during three consecutive at-bats. Sophomore pitcher Paul Schmitz pitched three innings in relief, allowing zero runs to score.
Game 2
Junior pitcher Jaxson Jelkin’s career day ended with no decision in Houston’s 4-2 loss. Jelkin recorded 13 strikeouts and allowed four hits in his six innings on the mound. Fifth-inning doubles from Coll and redshirt senior catcher Jonathan French tied the game at one. The Cougars remained scoreless until the ninth when a single from Reese scored freshman catcher Conner Bennett who recorded his first collegiate base hit. An intentional walk to Rainess loaded the bases, but two UH outs closed the game.
Game 3
The series ended with the tying run at the plate thanks to a double from our fielder senior outfielder Jacob Schoenvogel in Houston’s 10-8 loss. The game was in Houston’s hands with two early home runs. A two-run bomb off the bat of French in the second marked the first score of the afternoon. Coll hit one of his own to drive in two more in the third, contributing to his five RBIs on the day. BYU mounted a comeback. A triple from Reese gave the Coogs a chance to tie but he was left stranded. The seventh inning left Reese stranded yet again but this time alongside Coll Graduate pitcher José Torrealba hit two batters during the backside of the inning to load the bases. BYU capitalized going up 7-4. A heroic double from Coll cleared the bases putting Houston within one, however, BYU extended their lead in the bottom of the eighth.
Houston falls to 12-4 on the season and 4-2 in conference play. On March 19 and 20 Houston will face off against Rice in the Silver Glove series with one game in each of the squad’s ballparks.
