The Tide and Cougars swapped runs all evening, with Houston earning the victory in the end
Feb. 21, 2015
Box Score
HOUSTON – A combined 23 hits and seven errors led to a 14-9 final score, with the Alabama baseball team falling to the third-ranked Houston Cougars on Saturday evening inside Cougar Stadium. Following the loss, Alabama moves to 3-2 on the year.
“It was a wild game from the get-go,” said head coach Mitch Gaspard. “They jumped up on us 4-0 early, but we did a good job getting back in the game. Houston did a really good job this evening. It was kind a back and forth game that they took charge of on the end.”
The two teams used a combined 11 pitchers and shared 23 total hits over the nearly four-hour game. The two teams went back and forth, with scoring in all but three half innings across the final five frames of play.
The Cougars jumped out to the early lead on the evening, scoring two in the bottom of the first and then adding two more in the bottom of the fourth to end Alabama starter Will Carter’s night. Jake Hubbard came in to get the Tide out of the jam in the fourth, and the Alabama offense would answer the call.
In the top of the fifth, the Crimson Tide scored four runs to even the two teams at 4-4 through five and a half innings. Alabama’s scoring was jumpstarted by a leadoff single in the inning from Casey Hughston followed by back-to-back walks to Kyle Overstreet and Chance Vincent. With the bases loaded, Will Haynie knocked a two-bounce chopper down the line to score two runs for the Tide and advance Vincent to second. Ryan Blanchard followed up the Tide catcher with a single to center to score Vincent and advance Haynie to second, still with none out. In the very next at-bat, J.C. Wilhite doubled to the left-center field gap to plate one, tying up the score and knocking Houston starter Jake Lemoine out of the game.
Houston answered in the bottom half of the inning, adding one to go ahead 5-4, but the Crimson Tide would even the score in the very next inning. Hughston continued his hot streak, knocking a home run over the right field wall that left the park in a hurry. The home run was the Tide’s first of the season and Hughston’s third extra-base hit of the weekend, but more importantly the solo shot set the score at 5-5 through six and a half innings.
An inning later, the Alabama offense went to work with four runs on two hits and three errors by the Houston Cougars. The inning began with a Haynie walk that immediately led to an infield bunt by Blanchard, but an errant throw to second to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Wilhite came to the plate and attempted a sacrifice bunt, but an error by the Houston pitcher allowed a run to score for Alabama. The play also led to another pitching change for Houston with runners on first and third.
Chandler Avant welcomed the new Cougar pitcher with a single to center to score Blanchard and move Alabama’s lead further. Georgie Salem followed up Avant with a perfect bunt down the line on the third base side to load the bags for UA with no outs. Consecutive strikeouts brought Overstreet to the plate with the bases still loaded, and the Tide second baseman delivered. Overstreet sent an infield grounder to short, but the grounder snuck under the fielder’s glove and allowed two runs to score, setting Alabama ahead 9-5.
Houston countered in the next inning with a six spot on the back of four hits and one error by Alabama. The Crimson Tide was forced to go through two pitchers as the Cougars batted around and regained the lead, 11-9, through seven. In the eighth, Houston added three more runs to push the total to 14-9, the eventual final.
The Alabama offense was highlighted once again by Hughston, who finished the night 3-for-5 with a solo homer, an RBI and a run scored. Wilhite also contributed multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, as well.
“I really liked the resiliency these guys showed,” Gaspard said of his squad. “We’ve got some fight in us, and that was on display tonight. I like the makeup of this team, and I feel like we will continue to get better going forward.”
Alabama and Houston will conclude the three-game series tomorrow afternoon inside Cougar Stadium. The Crimson Tide and Cougars are scheduled for a Noon first pitch with Alabama tossing sophomore Geoffrey Bramblett and Houston still undecided on a starter.
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
Feb. 21, 2015
Box Score
HOUSTON – A combined 23 hits and seven errors led to a 14-9 final score, with the Alabama baseball team falling to the third-ranked Houston Cougars on Saturday evening inside Cougar Stadium. Following the loss, Alabama moves to 3-2 on the year.
“It was a wild game from the get-go,” said head coach Mitch Gaspard. “They jumped up on us 4-0 early, but we did a good job getting back in the game. Houston did a really good job this evening. It was kind a back and forth game that they took charge of on the end.”
The two teams used a combined 11 pitchers and shared 23 total hits over the nearly four-hour game. The two teams went back and forth, with scoring in all but three half innings across the final five frames of play.
The Cougars jumped out to the early lead on the evening, scoring two in the bottom of the first and then adding two more in the bottom of the fourth to end Alabama starter Will Carter’s night. Jake Hubbard came in to get the Tide out of the jam in the fourth, and the Alabama offense would answer the call.
In the top of the fifth, the Crimson Tide scored four runs to even the two teams at 4-4 through five and a half innings. Alabama’s scoring was jumpstarted by a leadoff single in the inning from Casey Hughston followed by back-to-back walks to Kyle Overstreet and Chance Vincent. With the bases loaded, Will Haynie knocked a two-bounce chopper down the line to score two runs for the Tide and advance Vincent to second. Ryan Blanchard followed up the Tide catcher with a single to center to score Vincent and advance Haynie to second, still with none out. In the very next at-bat, J.C. Wilhite doubled to the left-center field gap to plate one, tying up the score and knocking Houston starter Jake Lemoine out of the game.
Houston answered in the bottom half of the inning, adding one to go ahead 5-4, but the Crimson Tide would even the score in the very next inning. Hughston continued his hot streak, knocking a home run over the right field wall that left the park in a hurry. The home run was the Tide’s first of the season and Hughston’s third extra-base hit of the weekend, but more importantly the solo shot set the score at 5-5 through six and a half innings.
An inning later, the Alabama offense went to work with four runs on two hits and three errors by the Houston Cougars. The inning began with a Haynie walk that immediately led to an infield bunt by Blanchard, but an errant throw to second to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Wilhite came to the plate and attempted a sacrifice bunt, but an error by the Houston pitcher allowed a run to score for Alabama. The play also led to another pitching change for Houston with runners on first and third.
Chandler Avant welcomed the new Cougar pitcher with a single to center to score Blanchard and move Alabama’s lead further. Georgie Salem followed up Avant with a perfect bunt down the line on the third base side to load the bags for UA with no outs. Consecutive strikeouts brought Overstreet to the plate with the bases still loaded, and the Tide second baseman delivered. Overstreet sent an infield grounder to short, but the grounder snuck under the fielder’s glove and allowed two runs to score, setting Alabama ahead 9-5.
Houston countered in the next inning with a six spot on the back of four hits and one error by Alabama. The Crimson Tide was forced to go through two pitchers as the Cougars batted around and regained the lead, 11-9, through seven. In the eighth, Houston added three more runs to push the total to 14-9, the eventual final.
The Alabama offense was highlighted once again by Hughston, who finished the night 3-for-5 with a solo homer, an RBI and a run scored. Wilhite also contributed multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, as well.
“I really liked the resiliency these guys showed,” Gaspard said of his squad. “We’ve got some fight in us, and that was on display tonight. I like the makeup of this team, and I feel like we will continue to get better going forward.”
Alabama and Houston will conclude the three-game series tomorrow afternoon inside Cougar Stadium. The Crimson Tide and Cougars are scheduled for a Noon first pitch with Alabama tossing sophomore Geoffrey Bramblett and Houston still undecided on a starter.
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
