University of Houston
No. 17 UCF
Great Defense Overshadowed in 8-3 Loss to UCF
3/30/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 30, 2012
 No. 17 UCF(21-6, 3-1) | 8 |  Houston(10-14, 1-3) | 3 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| UCF | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 1 |
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 2 |
W: Brian Adkins (2-0)
S: none
L: Jared Ray (1-3)
PITCHING
| Houston | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Jared Ray | 6.1 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Matt Hernadez | 1.1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Ryan Vruggink | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| UCF | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Brian Adkins | 5.2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
BATTING
NUMBERS OF NOTE
5Chase Jensenis now riding a five-game hit streak following a 3-for-4 effort with two RBI.
12 Houston tallied 12 hits, its third consecutive 10+ hit game as a team.
| Houston | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SB | |
| Chase Jensen | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Landon Appling | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kendall Stacks | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
HOUSTON-A strong defensive performance by the University of Houston baseball team was overshadowed in an 8-3 loss to No. 17 UCF in C-USA action on Friday evening at Cougar Field.
With the loss, Houston fell to 10-14 overall and 1-3 in conference play, while UCF improved to 21-6 and 3-1.
"I thought we played the best defensive game we've had all year, as odd as that sounds. We've got Chase Jensen out there making plays out of his mind at shortstop. [Codey] Morehouse made an unbelievable play on a bunt to get an out," said head coach Todd Whitting. "We do have things we need to improve on but that starts on the mound. We've got to throw better pitches in certain counts."
The Cougars tallied 12 hits, notching their third straight game with 10 or more hits, but it was the Knights' 15 hits and four for extra bases that propelled them to eight runs scattered over nine frames.
Junior Chase Jensen led Houston at the plate with his third straight multi-hit game, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. The shortstop is now riding a five-game hit streak.
Sophomore Landon Appling (3x5, R, RBI) tied his career-high with three hits, while tallying a run and an RBI. Freshman Kendall Stacks (2x3, R) tallied two hits for his second consecutive straight two-hit game, while senior Codey Morehouse (1x4), sophomore Jonathan Davis (1x3), junior Taylor White (1x4, R), and freshman Price Jacobs (1x4) each recorded a hit.
Senior Jared Ray (6.1,11,6,6,1,2) took the loss, falling to 1-3 on the year, allowing six runs on 11 hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Pitching out of the Houston pen was junior Matt Hernandez (1.1,4,2,2,2,0) and freshman Ryan Vruggink (1.1,0,0,0,2,1), who worked out of a bases loaded jam to not allow a hit in 1.1 innings of work.
UCF took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on two hits, but Houston responded with two runs of its own in the latter half of the third as Stacks opened the frame with the Cougars only extra base hit of the evening, a double to left center. White and Appling then followed with singles to plate Stacks. White went on to score after a John Cannon sacrifice bunt and a two-strike single through the ride side by Jensen to go up 2-1.
The Knights began to take advantage of key hitting opportunities, plating four runs over the next two frames, which included a two-out, two-run single to right field to regain the lead at 5-2. UCF added another two runs in the seventh, before Houston's Appling singled and moved to third on a throwing error, allowing Jensen to plate him on a sacrifice fly to center field. UCF scored its final run in the eighth for an 8-3 lead.
Houston played its best defensive game of the season, highlighted by three amazing efforts by Jensen at shortstop, a Morehouse play at first and a deep running catch by Appling in center. Jensen's diving grab up the middle and flip to White at second ended the inning, holding UCF's lead to 1-0, saving a run from scoring.
UCF starter Brian Adkins (5.2,8,2,2,1,1) earned the win and improved to 2-0 after tossing 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and one walk with one strikeout.
"I know it's not from lack of effort because those guys are working hard. The thing about the team right now is this team doesn't shut it down," said Whitting. "All I can go off of is what I'm watching and I have a team right now that I feel bad for. I really do. They don't deserve the losses they are piling up because they're doing everything the right way. You just have to hope that it's going to turn pretty soon."
UP NEXT
The Cougars will continue the three-game series on Saturday with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Cougar Field.
