Houston catcher Kenneth Jiminez (31) runs to first base during the fourth inning of an NCAA college baseball game om March 30, 2025, in Houston, Texas. |Karolina Navarro/The Cougar.
Houston baseball showed promise by winning the first game against TCU but ultimately faltered in the final two games of the series, losing to the Horned Frogs two games to one.
The Cougars are now 15-12 overall and 3-6 in conference play.
Houston holds on late to win game one
In a tight defensive battle, the Cougars fought hard against TCU, securing a 3-2 victory for their third consecutive win.
In the top of the ninth, Houston led 3-2 with two outs and the bases empty, but TCU managed to place runners on second and third.
Graduate pitcher Antoine Jean remained calm and collected, delivering the game-winning strikeout.
“I trusted number seven on the mound and I had full faith in him,” redshirt sophomore outfielder Xavier Perez said. “He’s been in these situations before.”
TCU struck first in the first inning with an RBI single from freshman two-way player Noah Franco. After a scoreless second inning, Houston answered in the bottom of the third with a two-RBI double from Perez, taking a 2-1 lead.
The Horned Frogs aimed to reclaim the lead in the fourth with the bases loaded, but Cougars’ junior pitcher Paul Schmitz struck out TCU sophomore infielder Jack Bell to end the threat.
Franco tied the game in the fifth with another RBI single, but Houston regained the lead in the seventh with an RBI double from junior infielder Coby DeJesus.
Despite TCU’s attempts to rally in the eighth and ninth, they fell short. Jean earned the win, improving to 3-0, having pitched 4.1 innings with four strikeouts, allowing only two hits and two walks.
Perez went 2-4 with two RBIs, and sophomore outfielder Tre Broussard stole his 17th base, maintaining an unblemished record on steals.
Horned Frogs demolish the Cougars 12-0 in second game
While game one was a triumph, game two was a devastating loss for the Cougars, as TCU shut them out 12-0.
“It’s definitely not a good feeling,” Broussard said.
Houston’s offense struggled, managing only three hits and striking out eight times. In contrast, TCU scored 12 runs on 11 hits and recorded 10 RBIs.
The Horned Frogs scored their first four runs in the first and second innings, including a two-run home run.
They then added eight more runs between the seventh and ninth innings, capped by a five-run ninth inning featuring a three-run home run.
TCU redshirt junior pitcher Caedmon Parker earned the win, improving to 2-0, pitching five innings with three strikeouts while allowing only two hits and three walks.
Freshman outfielder Sawyer Strosnider led TCU’s offense, going 4-5 with four runs, five RBIs and two home runs.
Cougars’ sophomore pitcher Richie Roman took the loss, falling to 0-4 after pitching five innings, striking out two batters, and allowing six hits, four runs, a home run and three walks.
UH trounced in series finale despite early lead
Despite an early lead, the Cougars suffered another defeat, losing game three and the series 16-5.
“It’s a hard sport. It’s hard to do good when pitching and hitting don’t connect,” senior infielder Aaron Lugo said.
Houston started strong in the first inning, scoring four runs on three hits, while freshman pitcher Kendall Hoffman struck out TCU’s first three batters.
However, TCU responded fiercely, outscoring the Cougars 16-1 for the remainder of the game.
After a scoreless first inning, the Horned Frogs erupted for 16 runs, with 16 hits and 14 RBIs. They scored in all but three innings, including four runs in both the sixth and ninth innings.
TCU freshman pitcher Mason Brassfield secured the win, improving to 3-1, pitching 1.1 innings with one strikeout and no hits allowed.
Junior pitcher Kole Klecker recorded his first save of the season. Senior infielder Cole Cramer and junior infielder Anthony Silva both had over four hits, with Silva hitting a grand slam in the ninth.
UH junior pitcher Chris Scinta took the loss, falling to 2-1, after pitching 1.1 innings and allowing three hits, two runs and one walk. Lugo went 3-5 with one run and one RBI.
The series loss brings the Cougars’ record to 15-12. They will seek to regain their composure this week, facing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home on April 2, followed by a weekend series against Baylor in Waco from April 4-6.
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“Houston baseball falls to TCU despite victory in opener” was originally posted on The Cougar