University of Houston
12-9, 1-3
UCF
16-5, 2-2
Houston Erases 5-Run Deficit, Jean Ks 11 in Relief
3/21/2025 8:52:00 PM | Baseball
Cougars score six in fifth inning to take lead, win first Big 12 game
Jean (1) was downright dominant in relief. Striking out a career-high tying 11 Knights and didn't allow a hit until the ninth inning. Jean's worked a season-high 5.0 scoreless innings and has posted each of the last two Houston 4.0+ innings of scoreless relief work this season. The southpaw threw just 67 pitches and pounded the zone with 49 strikes for his first save since 2022.
The Montreal, Canada, native was handed the ball with a two-run lead after the Cougars (12-9, 1-3 Big 12) scored one in the fourth and six in the fifth inning to erase a five-run deficit.
Junior left hander Chris Scinta (1-0) spun 1.1 innings of near perfect relief work to earn the win. Scinta faced five hitters and only allowed one base runner.
Sophomore catcher Riley Jackson began the fifth inning with his fourth home run of the season. The Melbourne, Fla., native's solo home run bounced out of the UCF (16-5, 2-2 Big 12) left fielder's glove and into the Houston bullpen.
Houston's loudest hit of the night gave the visitors the lead on a bases loaded triple off the bat of senior designated hitter Malachi Lott. The Portland, Texas, native squeezed a line drive inside the first base bag providing ample time for all three runners to score easily.
Three pitches later, junior left fielder Cade Climie roped his second double of the game into the left field corner to give the Cougars a 7-5 lead.
Houston's sixth 6+ run inning of the season allowed the Cougars to come back from down 5+ for the first time since May 1, 2024, when the Cougars erased an 8-3 deficit in the seventh inning against McNeese.
NEXT UP
Houston's Richie Roman will get the start as the Cougars look to win their first Big 12 series of the season on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT against UCF. The series finale is set for Noon CT Sunday. Both games will stream on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scinta, Chris (1-0)
L: Castellano, Dominic (5-1)
S: Jean, Antoine (1)
Batting:
2B: Climie, Cade 2 ; Lugo, Aaron 1
3B: Lott, Malachi 1
HR: Jackson, Riley 1
RBI: Perez, Xavier 1 ; Lott, Malachi 3 ; Climie, Cade 2 ; Jackson, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perez, Xavier 1 ; McGinnis, Connor 1 ; Sabathia III, Carsten 1 ; Lott, Malachi 2 ; Jackson, Riley 1 ; Cox, Tyler 1
SB: Perez, Xavier 1 ; McGinnis, Connor 1
CS: Climie, Cade 1
HBP: McGinnis, Connor 1
PO: Climie, Cade 1
Batting:
2B: Ross, DeAmez 1
3B: Jimenez, Antonio 1
RBI: Williamson, Andrew 1 ; Calise, Braden 1 ; Jimenez, Antonio 1
SH: Calise, Braden 1
SF: Williamson, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ross, DeAmez 1 ; Espinal, Edian 1 ; Boedicker, Lex 1 ; Prevesk, Matt 1 ; Jimenez, Antonio 1
SB: Espinal, Edian 1 ; Boedicker, Lex 1
