University of Houston
1-0
Texas Southern
0-1
Houston Opens Season with Dominant Win
2/20/2021 2:41:00 PM | Baseball
Hernandez, Rivas strike back-to-back homers
KEY INNINGS
2nd | With bases loaded and no outs, junior catcher Kyle Lovelace started the scoring, scoring redshirt sophomore outfielder Cole Turney on a sacrifice fly. Sophomore outfielder Brandon Uhse brought home sophomore designated hitter Andrew Papantonis on a fielder's choice.
5th | The game opened up for the Cougars when junior Steven Rivas belted the first home run of the season to left-center, his fourth in 14 career games at Houston. Junior first baseman Ryan Hernandez followed, swatting his sixth home run in 16 games to make it 4-1.
8th | With bases loaded and one out, redshirt sophomore Ian McMillian connected on a two-run double, bringing in freshman infielder Will Pendergrass and Papantonis to stretch the lead to 6-1.
.@stevenrivas08 with his fourth homer in a Houston uniform.#M64 x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/WribOd2v98
— Houston Baseball (@UHCougarBB) February 20, 2021
HOUSTON NOTES
Offense:
• Papantonis turned in a 3-for-4 showing with two walks.
• Hernandez hit his first home run of the season in a 2-for-4 effort with one RBI.
• Rivas hit his first home run of the season, the second for the Cougars while finishing 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Pitching:
• Junior left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser (1-0) picked up his first win of the season. In five innings, Gasser recorded seven strikeouts, allowing just one hit and no earned runs.
• Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jaycob Deese made his Cougar debut, recording seven strikeouts to earn a four-inning save.
UP NEXT
Houston closes its four-game homestand by welcoming A&M-Corpus Christi for a 3 p.m. first pitch Tuesday. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard here.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Due to COVID-19 protocols outlined by Houston Athletics, attendance for the 2021 season will be pass-list only and limited to the student-athletes and coaches of the home and visiting teams. These protocols are subject to change and Houston Athletics will continue to monitor the need for adjustments to the attendance policy.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Baseball on Twitter and Instagram at @UHCougarBB, and "Like" Houston Cougar Baseball on Facebook.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gasser, Robert (1-0)
L: Kam Fields (0-1)
S: Deese, Jaycob (1)
Batting:
2B: Nic Garza 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Reuben Bennevendo 1
SB: Tyrese Clayborne 1
HBP: Reuben Bennevendo 1
PO: Dean Salazar 1
Batting:
2B: Rivas, Steven 1 ; Hernandez, Ryan 1 ; Papantonis, Andrew 1
HR: Rivas, Steven 1 ; Hernandez, Ryan 1
RBI: Uhse, Brandon 1 ; Rivas, Steven 1 ; Hernandez, Ryan 1 ; Lovelace, Kyle 1 ; McMillan, Ian 2
SH: Lovelace, Kyle 2
SF: Lovelace, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rivas, Steven 1 ; Hernandez, Ryan 1 ; Turney, Cole 1 ; Papantonis, Andrew 2 ; Pendergrass, Will 1
SB: Burckel, Brad 1 ; Papantonis, Andrew 1
HBP: Rivas, Steven 1 ; Almendarez, Luke 1
