
Houston pitcher Antonie Jean (7) during an earlier game. | Emma Christensen/The Cougar
Houston baseball was scorched after dropping two out of three games to Arizona State in a series at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Following the five-run sixth inning that propelled the Cougars to a series-opening comeback win on Friday, May 9, they were outscored 27-4 for the remainder of the series.
Following the series loss, the Cougars dropped to 28-22 overall and 11-15 in conference play. They gained no ground in the Big 12 standings past the weekend and eliminated a winning conference finish. Their run differential, which was as high as +60 on the season, is now down to +15 with three games remaining in the regular season.
The matchup was the first series meeting between Houston and Arizona State since 2010. The all-time series between the two programs most notably features the national championship matchup of the 1967 College World Series, in which Houston, under longtime coach Lovette Hill, fell runner-up.
Crooked sixth fuels comeback, Jean makes history as Cougars take opener
A five-run road sixth, along with graduate reliever Antoine Jean’s four-inning save on six strikeouts, helped seal Houston’s 6-5 comeback win over Arizona State on Friday, May 9, to open the series, extending its winning streak to a season-high six games.
Jean struck out the first four batters he faced to reach 100 strikeouts on the season, becoming the second Cougar in program history to reach the milestone behind Ryan Wagner, who struck out 148 batters in 2003 to set a then-Division I record for K/9 as the eventual 14th overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the MLB draft that year.
With the Cougars facing a deficit of 4-1 after a 1-for-14 start at the plate through five innings, junior catcher Kenneth Jimenez took a fastball to the arm from junior Ben Jacobs to begin the top of the sixth. Junior infielder Connor McGinnis and redshirt sophomore outfielder Xavier Perez loaded the bases with a walk and a single, respectively.
With one out, junior infielder Cade Climie was issued a bases-loaded walk to cut Houston’s deficit in half at 4-2, ending Jacobs’ night after 5.1 innings for Arizona State.
Junior Lucas Kelly, in relief of Jacobs, issued the Cougars their second consecutive bases-loaded walk, this time to junior infielder Coby DeJesus, to make it a one-run contest.
On a 2-2 pitch with two outs, junior infielder Tyler Cox rolled a go-ahead two-run single up the middle for his ninth hit in his last 12 plate appearances, giving Houston its first lead of the night at 5-4.
Junior outfielder Brandon Bishop followed with an infield RBI single to make it 6-4 and cap off Houston’s five-spot in the top of the sixth.
Out of the Cougars’ bullpen, graduate Andres Perez and sophomore Alex Solis each dealt scoreless frames before giving way to Jean. Solis earned the winning decision for Houston, improving him to 2-1 on the season.
Arizona State threatened in the bottom of the ninth, when down to their final out, an RBI single by junior outfielder Isaiah Jackson cut Houston’s lead back to one at 6-5, leaving the tying run 90 feet away. However, Jean kept Houston’s lead firm to complete his four-inning save, which earned him his fifth save of the season.
Sun Devils’ 11 unanswered forces rubber game
Despite three early leads through the first three innings for the Cougars, 11 unanswered Arizona State runs, including two five-run innings in the third and sixth innings, handed Houston a 13-3 loss on Saturday, May 10, forcing a rubber match in the series.
Houston opened the scoring for the contest when a one-out sacrifice fly by Perez scored Jimenez, who led off with a double on the second pitch of the game.
On junior Paul Schmitz’s 11th pitch of the game, senior infielder Jacob Tobias provided Arizona State’s first answer with a game-tying RBI single, making it 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
In the top of the second, Houston obtained its second lead of the game on Cox’s 11th hit in his last 14 plate appearances, an RBI single that extended his hitting streak to five games and made it 2-1.
In the bottom frame, Arizona State issued its second answer on a two-out RBI double by freshman infielder Landon Hairston to knot the contest up again at 2-2.
Bishop’s one-out sacrifice fly gave the Cougars their third lead as early as the first three frames, which would also be their final lead of the game at 3-2.
What followed in the bottom of the third was the beginning of an offensive explosion that Houston would have no answer for.
A one-out go-ahead two-run home run to left by redshirt sophomore outfielder Brandon Compton gave Arizona State its first lead of the afternoon and second of the series at 4-3.
With two outs, Schmitz gave up his second home run of the inning in the form of a solo shot to right center by Jackson, making it 5-3.
After issuing a walk to the next batter, Schmitz’s day was done after 2.2 innings. He surrendered five earned runs on six hits, handing him the loss and dropping him to 4-5 on the season.
A two-run single through the left side by Kingwood High School alum and senior infielder Matt King made it 7-3 and capped off the first of two five-run innings by Arizona State.
A solo home run in the bottom of the fifth by redshirt junior infielder Kyle Walker made it 8-3.
The Sun Devils’ second five-run eruption of the game in the bottom of the sixth broke the contest wide open and out of reach for Houston.
A two-run double down the line in left by sophomore infielder Jax Ryan made it 10-3.
With two outs, a two-run double by Walker followed by a run-scoring error charged to DeJesus inflated Arizona State’s lead to 10 runs at 13-3, a lead which would hold firm to force the rubber match.
Sophomore Jaden Alba posted three innings of two-hit shutout ball in relief of senior Jack Martinez for Arizona State, earning the winning decision to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Run rule decides series for Sun Devils
Despite an early 1-0 lead on a two-out solo home run in the top of the first inning by Perez, Houston could not provide any further answer offensively as 13 unanswered Arizona State runs forced the Cougars into a 13-1 run-rule loss in seven innings on Sunday, May 11, to drop the series.
Arizona State opened its scoring in the bottom of the second on a two-out game-tying RBI single by graduate catcher Josiah Cromwick. What followed was a go-ahead two-run home run to center by Jackson to give the Sun Devils a 3-1 lead, a lead that remained unrelinquished.
The three-spot from the inning ultimately handed sophomore Diego Luzardo the loss in two innings of work to drop him to 2-2 on the season.
In the bottom of the third, battery mishaps between junior Ryan Dollar and sophomore catcher Riley Jackson led to Walker scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.
With two outs, an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Kien Vu, followed by a two-run home run to left center by Compton, made it 7-1.
The tee-off continued in the bottom of the fourth, as three consecutive RBI base hits from Walker, Hairston and King made it 10-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, RBI singles by Cromwick and Hairston, along with a bases-loaded walk issued to Walker, gave Arizona State its largest lead of the series at 13-1, which would hold firm for the run rule and leave five Sun Devils across the starting lineup each with 2-RBI performances on the day.
Freshman Easton Barrett posted 5.1 innings of one-run ball on three hits, earning the winning decision for Arizona State and improving his season to 4-2.
At 10th in the conference standings, all that Houston needs to punch its ticket to the Big 12 baseball tournament at Globe Life Field in Arlington is one final strong homestand.
Senior weekend awaits the Cougars as they will begin a three-game series at Schroeder Park against Arizona on Thursday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m.