Nickens, Cougars Walk Off No. 8 East Carolina

HOUSTON – The first of three regular season battles between the American Athletic Conference's top-two preseason favorites lived up to the billing.

University of Houston sophomore Cameron Nickens sliced a game-winning, RBI-single into right field, lifting the Cougars to a 5-4, 10-inning victory over No. 8 East Carolina in both teams' league opener Friday night from Sanders Field at Schroeder Park.

Junior Alex Lopez registered a leadoff double in the 10th for his fifth two-bagger of the season, setting the stage for Nickens' heroics. Houston (13-13, 1-0 American) stretched the game into extras, erasing a two-run deficit in the ninth, highlighted by a game-tying, two-out, RBI-double from sophomore Malachi Lott.

The loss snapped East Carolina's (19-7, 0-1 American) 10-game weekend win streak. It was the first matchup between the programs since the 2022 American Athletic Conference Championship game in Clearwater, Fla.

East Carolina sophomore starter Trey Yesavage, who entered the game with a 4-0 record, did not receive a decision. The Boyertown, Pa., native notched 13 strikeouts while limiting the Cougars to a pair of runs on three hits across 6.0 innings.

Player Highlights

Houston junior starter Josh Ekness notched 6.1 strong innings, working around six hits and three walks while striking out five batters. The five punchouts matched a season high. The Woodlands, Texas, product tossed 97 pitches.
Cougar right-handed junior reliever Justin Murray (1-0) earned his first victory of the season, holding the Pirates scoreless over the final 3.2 innings, working around a pair of hits and one walk while fanning four. He recorded career-highs in both innings pitched and strikeouts in his appearance. His leaping defensive gem in the 10th inning left the bases loaded.
Nickens (1 for 5) extended his hit streak to eight games while Lott (3 for 5), who ultimately sent the game into extras with his two-out, ninth-inning double, registered his fourth performance of at least three hits in his last seven games while raising his average to .400.

Key Innings:
2nd | Houston junior Anthony Tulimero clubbed his fourth home run of the season and third in the last seven games to lead off the second. The solo homer came on a 1-2 count courtesy of an elevated slider to put Houston ahead 1-0.

4th | East Carolina used a 2-run home run from Josh Moylan to take a 2-1 lead. The Stoney Beach, Md., native's third homer of the second and second in the last three games, extended his hit streak to six games.

6th | The two teams exchanged runs in the sixth. ECU sophomore Ryan McCrystal delivered a two-out RBI-single into center field, scoring sophomore Luke Nowak who reached one batter earlier on a two-out double. Tulimero answered for the Cougars, ripping a double into left center for his second RBI of the game and 10^th in the last seven contest. The two-bagger plated junior Alex Lopez who reached on a one-out walk.

7th | A one-out triple from junior Ryley Johnson came back to hurt the Cougars as one batter junior Carter Cunningham lifted a sacrifice fly into center field, extended the Pirates' lead to 4-2.

9th | Sophomore Malachi Lott delivered in the clutch, lining a two-out, game-tying, RBI-double into left center to plate sophomore Brandon Burckel who sent a one-out single through the left side following a leadoff single from Murray.

10th | Murray provided the defensive play of the game, stabbing a two-out would-be-base-hit out of the air before tossing to first to strand the bases loaded in the 10th inning after the Pirates put three of their first four batters aboard. Junior Zach Arnold cut down the lead runner heading home for the second out before Murray added the final out of the top half.

UP NEXT
Houston and No. 8 East Carolina return for the middle game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday from Schroeder Park. The Cougars will send right-handed freshman Paul Schmitz (1-1, 3.80 ERA) to the mound against ECU right-handed senior Carter Spivey (2-1, 3.75 ERA). Tickets are priced as low as $5 for kids and $10 for adults by clicking here. Every Saturday is "Coogs Win, You win!" with fans in attendance taking home free Raising Cane's when Houston wins. The matchup can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on The Varsity Network.

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Team Stats

Malachi Lott

Anthony Tulimero

Brandon Burckel

Alex Lopez

Players Mentioned

Zach Arnold

Brandon Burckel

Josh Ekness

Alex Lopez

Malachi Lott

Justin Murray

Cameron Nickens

Paul Schmitz

Anthony Tulimero

Players Mentioned

Zach Arnold

Brandon Burckel

Josh Ekness

Alex Lopez

Malachi Lott

Justin Murray

Cameron Nickens

Paul Schmitz

Anthony Tulimero

Upcoming Events

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