Cougars Earn Series Sweep at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Houston Baseball earned the series sweep against Minnesota taking the final game 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Junior reliever Brendan O'Donnell (1-0) earned his first win for the Cougars (8-11), pitching 1.0 inning with no hits and one strikeout. Junior utility player Justin Murray recorded his first save of the season, striking out the side in a perfect frame. Minnesota's (3-18) Richie Holtz (0-2) struck out seven batters but allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with a pair of walks.

Houston's pitching staff stranded five Minnesota runners while Cougar batters nabbed a .364 (4-for-11) batting average with two outs. The Golden Gophers were held to a .222 average (2-for-9) with two away and did not register a hit with runners in scoring position (0-for-5).

Game Highlights:

Zach Arnold extended his reached based streak to 18 games and Justin Murray moved his to 15 games.
Alex Lopez recorded his first home run of the season with the ball reaching the upper deck of U.S. Bank Stadium.
In addition to extending his reached base streak, Justin Murray struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning to end the game with a career-high three strikeouts.
Malachi Lott went a perfect 4-for-4, a career-high, including two runs, a double, a triple and a stolen base.

Player Highlights:

Malachi Lott: 4-4, 2R, 2B, 3B, SB
Alex Lopez: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, HR
Brendan O'Donnell: W (1-0), 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Justin Murray: S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3K

Key Innings
1^st| The Golden Gophers got on the board first thanks to a two-out, solo home run from sophomore Jake Perry.

3^rd | With two outs in the top of the third inning, Houston started to fight back. Back-to-back singles from graduate transfer outfielder Drew Bianco and sophomore outfielder Malachi Lott put the Cougars on the corners. The two base runners took advantage of a Minnesota throwing error as Lott stole second before advancing to third and Bianco stole home to even the score at 1-1. A walk from junior third baseman Zach Arnold followed by a single from junior Alex Lopez brought Lott and Arnold home for a 3-1 advantage.

7^th| On a double in the bottom of the seventh, Minnesota brought another run across to close Houston's lead to 3-2. The Golden Gophers quickly put runners on second and third before junior reliever Brendan O'Donnell struck out the final batter of the inning.

8^th | Lott's fourth hit of the day came as a triple to lead off the eighth inning. Arnold recorded a sacrifice fly to center field to bring Lott home for a 4-2 lead. Lopez continued his day by sending a ball to the upper deck of U.S. Bank stadium for a solo home run making the score 5-2.

9^th | | Junior utility player Justin Murray closed out the game on the mound striking out the side as the Cougars earned the series sweep, 5-2.

UP NEXT
The Cougars will wrap their road swing at McNeese on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before returning home for four straight games at Schroeder Park. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can tune in to the Houston radio call via The Varsity Network. Houston welcomes Southern at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are on sale for as low as $5 for kids and $10 for adults by clicking here.

TICKETS ON SALE
Houston Baseball flex plan packs and single-game tickets are on sale for the 2023 season. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 713-G0-COOGS (462-6647) or by click here.

SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.

JOIN THE DUGOUT CLUB 
Fans are invited to join The Dugout Club to directly support Houston Baseball. Members provide financial support directly to Houston Baseball for needs beyond operating budget. For more information about the Dugout Club, text UHBASEBALL to 71777, call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4684) or click here.
 
STAY CONNECTED 
Fans can receive updates by following UHCougarBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Baseball. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarbb.

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Team Stats

Malachi Lott

Alex Lopez

Anthony Tulimero

Brandon Uhse

Players Mentioned

Zach Arnold

Drew Bianco

Alex Lopez

Malachi Lott

Justin Murray

Brendan O'Donnell

Players Mentioned

Zach Arnold

Drew Bianco

Alex Lopez

Malachi Lott

Justin Murray

Brendan O'Donnell

Upcoming Events

Recent Results