University of Houston
East Carolina
Baseball Rallies for Win in C-USA Championship Opener
5/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Sophomore centerfielder Zak Presley lined a two-run single into left center in the bottom of the 10th inning to help lift the University of Houston baseball team to a win over No. 28 East Carolina on Wednesday during the opening game of the 2008 Entergy Conference USA Championship at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
East Carolina appeared to seize the game's momentum in the top of the 10th inning with a two-out rally. Corey Kemp reached on a walk and raced in with the go-ahead run when Brandon Henderson blasted a double off the wall in left field.
However, the Cougars would not go quietly in earning their 16th come-from-behind win of the season. Senior third baseman Bryan Pounds drew a leadoff walk and made it to third when junior infielder Jimmy Cesario lined a base hit through the right side. After senior second baseman Ryan Lormand was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Presley laced a 1-2 offering into left center to plate Pounds and Cesario and end the game.
"It was a very important win for us and for our season," said head coach Rayner Noble, who is now in his 14th season. It's a win we needed to have, and it's an important step for this team in this tournament."
Retuning to his native Louisiana, Cesario went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs to lead a Cougar offense that outhit the Pirates 10-9. Lormand Went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.
Sophomore southpaw Donnie Joseph earned the win in relief after limiting the Pirates to one run off a hit and a walk with a strikeout in two innings.
Kyle Roller went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, while Henderson batted 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Dustin Harrington went 2-for-4, while Jamie Ray went 2-for-5 with a double in the losing effort.
ECU reliever Brad Mincey collected the loss and fell to 3-3 after allowing a run off two hits without retiring a Cougar batter.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 35-2 and picked up their third win in four games against the Pirates in 2008. The Cougars also advanced in the winner's bracket where they will face No. 8 seed UAB game -- which was an 8-2 winner over No. 1 Rice -- at 4 p.m., Thursday.
East Carolina fell to 39-18 and will play No. 1 seed Rice at 9 a.m., Thursday in the first elimination game of the Championship.
Fans can hear all Cougar Baseball games live at UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the play-by-play action while former letterwinner Pat Cauley provides color analysis.
Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the Gametracker link.
The Pirates grabbed the early lead in the second inning when Roller's RBI-single through the left side scored Henderson from second base.
The score remained that way until the fourth inning when the Cougars used a two-out rally to tie the game. Cesario lined a double down the right-field line and scored easily when Lormand followed with a double to the wall in right center.
In the sixth inning, the Cougars used another two-out rally to grab their first lead. Pounds started the rally with a double off the wall in center field and scored when Cesario lined an RBI-single into center field.
The lead would not for long. Schieber reached on a one-out single and scored when Roller blasted a towering two-run homer to right field for a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning.
In the eighth inning, the Cougars tied the game and threatened for more. Blake Kelso led off with a double down the left-field line. Following a walk to Jake Stewart and Pounds' sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Cesario grounded out to first base but not before Kelso raced in from third with the tying run.
The rally continued as Lormand received an intentional pass, and Presley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, ECU reliever Josh Ruhlman forced a groundout to end the threat.
