University of Houston
4-0
A&M-Corpus Christi
3-1
Homers Power Win
2/23/2021 6:32:00 PM | Baseball
Cougars off to first 4-0 start since 2016
With the win, Houston improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2016. The Cougars, who swatted five home runs, have scored double-digit runs in three consecutive games for the first time since March 5-8, 2013. A&M-Corpus Christi (3-1), who will host Houston on Friday at Corpus Christi's Whataburger Field, suffered its first loss of the season.
Rivas (3-for-3), the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, has smashed four home runs in as many games. Sophomore Brandon Use (3-for-5) and Rivas contributed back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning, marking the second time this season Cougar batters have gone back-to-back.
After A&M-Corpus Christi started the scoring with two runs in the second, Houston answered in the home half. The Cougars sent eight batters to the plate and produced four hits including a two-run double from Adam Becker, RBI-single from Brad Burckel and solo homer from Rivas.
Senior Tyler Bielamowicz (2-for-3) added a leadoff home run in the seventh, his first since 2019, and Burckel (2-for-4) added a two-run homer three batters later.
Home Run Derby: Schroeder Park
— Houston Baseball (@UHCougarBB) February 23, 2021
That's 🖐 dingers on the day.
• @Tybielamowicz - 390 feet
• @bburck23 - 356 feet#M64 x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/meHeERzk3J
Houston starter Cameron Prayer went 2.2 innings in his debut, allowing five hits and three runs alongside two walks and one strikeout. Reliever Maddux Miller (1-0), who stranded a leadoff triple in the fifth, earned the win. The righty permitted one hit and struck out three in 1.2 innings.
A&M-Corpus Christi's Nick Urbantke (0-1) was tagged for six runs (five earned) on eight hits while fanning four. Reliever Dylan Johnson followed, permitting three runs on five hits in 1.2 frames.
UP NEXT
Houston pays a return visit to A&M-Corpus Christi, opening a three-game series with the Islanders from Whataburger Field on Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's middle game is set for 6 p.m. and Sunday's finale gets underway at 1 p.m. All games can be seen on FloBaseball.tv and heard via Stream.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Maddux (1-0)
L: Urbantke, Nick (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Marbach, Luke 1 ; Markotic, Leo 1
3B: Caraway, Josh 1
HR: Caraway, Josh 1
RBI: Hastings, Scott 1 ; Caraway, Josh 1 ; Burts, Itchy 2 ; Welch, Tristan 1 ; Markotic, Leo 2 ; Johnson, Diego 1
SF: Hastings, Scott 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hastings, Scott 1 ; Caraway, Josh 2 ; Byrd, Tyler 1 ; Welch, Tristan 1 ; Williams, Mike 1 ; White, Nate 1 ; Ryan, Brendan 1
SB: Welch, Tristan 1 ; White, Nate 1
HBP: Caraway, Josh 1 ; Rivera, Steven 1
PO: Welch, Tristan 1 ; Johnson, Diego 1
Batting:
2B: Becker, Adam 1
HR: Burckel, Brad 1 ; Uhse, Brandon 1 ; Rivas, Steven 2 ; Bielamowicz, Tyler 1
RBI: Burckel, Brad 3 ; Uhse, Brandon 1 ; Rivas, Steven 3 ; Bielamowicz, Tyler 1 ; Becker, Adam 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Burckel, Brad 3 ; Uhse, Brandon 1 ; Rivas, Steven 2 ; Post, Dylan 1 ; Bielamowicz, Tyler 3 ; McMillan, Ian 1 ; Becker, Adam 1
SB: Burckel, Brad 2 ; Papantonis, Andrew 1
HBP: Burckel, Brad 1 ; Post, Dylan 1 ; Tormos, Samuel 1 ; Bielamowicz, Tyler 1
