The Cougars failed to get in the win column during a weekend series with UCF. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar
The Cougars lost the first two games in the series with UCF before storms over Houston brought the series to a halt after the second game.
Game 1
The Knights got on the scoreboard immediately in the first inning, thanks to an RBI triple, followed by a two-run home run in the third to make it 3-0. Meanwhile, Houston batters could only register one hit through the first four innings.
In the fifth, senior outfielder Cary Arbolida homered into centerfield to make it a 3-1 game, but UH couldn’t capitalize on it thanks to strong pitching and defense from UCF.
In the end, the Knights made it 4-1 thanks to another RBI triple in the seventh inning and held on to win the game.
Junior pitcher Cade Citelli received the loss and brought his record to 3-2. He pitched six innings, throwing 103 pitches and striking out six batters while giving up four hits and three runs.
Game 2
The second and final game of the weekend nearly followed the same script as the first contest, as Houston’s offense remained stale, Central Florida slowly kept filling up the scoreboard. At the bottom of the sixth, the Knights led 4-0 thanks to an RBI on a fielder’s choice, two-RBI singles, and an RBI double.
Just when it seemed the game was lost, with the bases loaded, senior second baseman Harold Coll gave the fans a jolt of excitement as he launched a 1-2 pitch over the fence for a grand slam to tie the game.
However the moment was short-lived as UCF would regain the lead in the eighth inning thanks to a double RBI single and would hold on to win the game and the series 6-4.
Senior pitcher Jean Antoine pitched six innings, throwing 102 pitches, striking out five batters and giving up four runs. Graduate relief pitcher José Torrealba received the loss, pitching 1.2 innings and giving up the two game-winning runs.
The series brought Houston’s record to 23-24 on the season and 6-17 in Big 12 play.
