University of Houston
Tulane
Late Baseball Rally Stuns No. 23 Tulane on Saturday
4/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 21, 2007
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METAIRIE, La. - Bryan Pounds' two-out, RBI single in the top of the ninth inning broke a tie and helped lift the University of Houston baseball team to a stunning 2-1 win over No. 23 Tulane on Saturday in the second game of a Conference USA series at Zephyr Field.
As they have done during the first two games of the series, the Cougars used a two-out rally in the ninth inning to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run lead. Josh Stirneman led off the final frame with a single through the right side and moved into scoring position following Luis Flores' sacrifice bunt.
Two batters later, Bryan Tully lifted a fly ball into center field that fell out of the reach of Tulane's diving centerfielder Nate Simon, scoring pinch runner Austin Goolsby to tie the game at 1-1. Pounds then lined a 2-2 offering from Tulane reliever Daniel Latham through the right side to hand the Cougars their first lead of the game.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, reliever Shea Hancock induced two quick groundouts before Aja Barto laced a single through the left side. But closer Bryan Tully struck out pinch hitter Rustin Rebowe looking to end the threat and the game.
Hancock picked up the win and improved to 2-1 after holding Tulane to only one hit with a strikeout in 1.2 scoreless innings. Tully earned his team-leading third save after striking out the only batter that he faced.
Although he did not factor in the decision, redshirt freshman southpaw Wes Musick was impressive in the no-decision. Making his first appearance since UAB on April 7, the Lufkin native allowed only one run off five hits with eight strikeouts.
Stirneman went 2-for-4 to lead the Cougar offense, which outhit Tulane 9-6. Sophomore outfielder Jimmy Cesario went 1-for-4 with a stolen base to extend his hitting streak to a career and UH-season-best 16 straight games. The Metairie native tied with Dustin Carr for the 11th-longest streak in school history and recorded the longest streak since former catcher Rob Johnson ended the 2004 season on a 17-game hitting streak.
Tulane reliever Daniel Latham collected the loss and fell to 2-2 after giving up two runs off three hits with three strikeouts in two innings. Tulane starter Shooter Hunt did not pick up a decision despite holding the Cougars to six hits with six strikeouts in seven shutout innings.
Tim Guidry went 2-for-4 with a double, while Jared Dyer batted 2-for-3 with a run and triple to lead the Green Wave offense.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 21-17 overall and 8-3 in C-USA games, while Tulane fell to 28-13, 8-6 in C-USA games. The Cougars also enjoyed the first series victory over the Green Wave in Louisiana in school history.
The series wraps up at 1 p.m., Sunday at Zephyr Field. Fans can hear Cougar Baseball games live on UHCougars.com with former Cougar letterwinners Nick Torina and Pat Cauley calling all the action. Fans can follow live stats by clicking on the "Gametracker" link on the front page of UHCougars.com or on the Schedule and Results page off the Baseball main page.
Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the "Gametracker" link on the front page of UHCougars.com or on the "Schedule and Results" page off the Baseball main page.
Freshman righthander John Touchton makes his fifth start when he takes the hill against No. 23 Tulane during the series finale. This season, the Houston native has compiled a 3-3 record with 21 strikeouts and a 7.16 ERA in 32.2 innings of work.
Sunday's game will be his fourth consecutive C-USA start but first career appearance against the Green Wave.
In his last start, Touchton moved up a spot in the Cougar rotation to pitch the middle game of the series against No. 5 Rice on April 14 at Cougar Field. He collected the loss to see his two-game winning streak come to an end after giving up eight runs (seven earned) off 10 hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in five innings.
Tulane will counter with senior righthander Brandon Gomes. This season, Gomes has posted a 5-2 record with 45 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA in 60.2 innings.
The Green Wave grabbed its first lead of the series in the third inning. Dyer led off with a triple that fell just out of the reach of a diving Tully in right field and rolled to the wall. Two batters later, Seth Henry laced a double down the left-field line to plate Dyer for the only run of the game.
