University of Houston
35-22
Wichita State
21-35
Cougars Capture Back-and-Forth Opener
5/25/2022 12:10:00 AM | Baseball
Garcia, Hernandez shine as Houston takes American Championship opener
After Wichita State (21-35) scored four consecutive runs, including pushing one across in the seventh inning to tie it, Hernandez (2 for 3, 3 RBIs) provided an immediate answer. The first baseman sent a two-run, line-drive home run into the left field seats for a 9-7 advantage.
The long ball was Hernandez's seventh in the last 12 games overall and his second in three career American Championship contests. After registering nine runs in three games at East Carolina over the weekend, the Cougars (35-22) awoke for 10 runs on 15 hits.
Garcia (4 for 4, 3 RBIs) became the first Houston player to produce four-plus hits and three-plus RBIs in an American Championship game since Connor Wong (5 for 6, 6 RBIs) and Corey Julks (5 for 6, 5 RBIs) both accomplished the feat against Memphis on May 23, 2015.
During a night dominated by offense, junior José Torrealba (1-0) made his case for player of the game. The reliever stranded the bases loaded in the seventh inning and retired his final seven batters. The southpaw struck out six across 3.0 scoreless innings.
The Cougars connected on five hits, including back-to-back RBI-doubles from Garcia and Hernandez to highlight a four-run third inning. The four-run output was Houston's biggest in an American Championship since plating nine in the fourth inning against Tulane on May 24, 2018.
Houston junior reliever Nathan Medrano retired nine of his first 10 batters faced, allowing the Cougars' offense time to tack on a sacrifice fly from junior Alex Lopez and RBI-single from freshman Malachi Lott in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively.
The Shockers used back-to-back home runs to highlight a three-run third inning. Sophomore Brock Rodden provided Wichita State a 2-1 advantage with his 17th home run of the season. One batter later, junior Sawyre Thornhill deposited a solo home run over the wall in right center.
Both starting pitchers allowed six hits and lasted 2.1 innings. Making his first start of the season, junior Ben Sears allowed three runs with a strikeout. Wichita State sophomore starter Caden Favors permitted four runs with a strikeout.
UP NEXT
Houston gets the day off Wednesday and returns to action on Thursday afternoon to face No. 7 seed Memphis. First pitch is scheduled for 47 minutes following the conclusion of the noon CT opener.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Torrealba, José (1-0)
L: Kaminska, Jace (3-9)
Batting:
2B: Casserilla, Xavier 1
3B: Ingram, Chuck 1
HR: Rodden, Brock 1 ; Thornhill, Sawyre 1
RBI: Ingram, Chuck 2 ; Rodden, Brock 3 ; Thornhill, Sawyre 2
SF: Ingram, Chuck 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ingram, Chuck 1 ; Rodden, Brock 1 ; Thornhill, Sawyre 1 ; Cadena, Ross 1 ; Casserilla, Xavier 1 ; Stroh, Seth 1 ; Stewart, Andrew 1
HBP: Stroh, Seth 1
Batting:
2B: Tulimero, Anthony 1 ; Garcia, Santiago 2 ; Hernandez, Ryan 1
HR: Hernandez, Ryan 1 ; Burckel, Brandon 1
RBI: Lopez, Alex 1 ; Garcia, Santiago 3 ; Hernandez, Ryan 3 ; Nickens, Cameron 1 ; Lott, Malachi 1 ; Burckel, Brandon 1
SH: McMillan, Ian 1
SF: Lopez, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lopez, Alex 1 ; Tulimero, Anthony 2 ; Garcia, Santiago 3 ; Hernandez, Ryan 2 ; Burckel, Brandon 2
SB: Lott, Malachi 1
CS: Uhse, Brandon 1
HBP: Nickens, Cameron 1
