University of Houston
Sam Houston State
Baseball Loses 18-16 to Sam Houston State
3/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 10, 2009
HOUSTON - The University of Houston baseball team hit a Cougar Field record 22 hits but it wasn't enough as the Cougars fell to Sam Houston State, 18-16, on Tuesday night.
With the final score of 18-16, it marked just the fourth time in Cougar Field history that two teams combined for more than 30 runs. The last 30-run game was an 18-17 Houston win over USF on March 21, 1998.
The defeat also marks the first loss to the Bearkats since a 7-5 loss at Sam Houston State on March 10, 1999.
Houston took a commanding 9-2 lead in the fourth inning led by Zak Presley home run and Chase Dempsay double, his first of three on the night.
In the second inning, Houston posted five runs for the early 5-1 lead. Codey Morehouse hit a single to second base with one out to start the inning, he would score when Taylor White doubled to left center. John Cannon and Blake Kelso followed that up with singles, scoring White and William Kankel hit the first home run of his career to scoring Cannon and Kelso.
Zak Presley added to the Cougars total in the third inning, scoring on a throwing error by third base after reaching on a single to second base. Morehouse reached on the error and eventually crossed home on a Cannon single.
Dempsay hit his first double of the night in the fourth inning and would score on a Presley home run with one out.
The Bearkats answered back in the fifth inning with six runs to pull within three, 9-6, but in the bottom of the inning it looked as though Houston be able to hold off the surging visitors. The Cougars put together a four run inning, highlighted by a two RBI double from Dempsay.
Houston posted their final run total of the night in the seventh inning, scoring three runs. Kelso and Kankel each hit a single to put two runners on base putting Dempsay at the plate. Not to disappoint, Dempsay hit his third double of the night scoring Kelso. Kankel would eventually score on a Ramsey single and Presley would plate Dempsay with a single up the middle.
But the Bearkats would not go away. They put up 10 runs in the eighth inning to take the lead and hold on for the win. The 10 runs scored by Sam Houston State in the eighth inning marks the first time since May 31, 2008 that a Cougar opponent has scored at least 10 runs. Texas A&M scored 12 runs in that game.
On the night Dempsay hit three doubles, setting a Cougar Field record for doubles in a game. The previous best was two done 59 times.
LOOKING AHEAD
Houston will leave the state of Texas for the first time this season when they travel to Stockton, Calif., for a three-game series against Pacific on March 13-15. Following the trip to California, the Cougars will return to Houston for mid-week games at Lamar on March 17 and against Rice on March 18 at Cougar Field.
