(Houston, TX) Sun Devil Baseball sputtered after a hot start, falling behind late and unable to rally for a second consecutive night in a 5-3 loss at Houston to even the series on Friday in Texas.
Landon Hairston and Nu’u Contrades homered as the first two batters of the game but the Sun Devils (35-18, 18-11 Big 12) managed just five hits over the next 27 outs with only one more run coming on Contrades’ second homer of the game in the top of the third.
ASU ace Cole Carlon had to leave the game in the second inning with shoulder tightness and the Sun Devils never seemed to gain any momentum back after that gut punch.
Forced into action early, the ASU bullpen did its part to give the offense a chance, allowing just two runs over the final six innings of action after Houston tied the game at 3-3 in the third. But situational hitting was a struggle all night as ASU went just 1-for-11 with runners on the bases, 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, 2-for-9 out of the leadoff spot and 1-for-9 with two outs.
Inning by inning
First inning
Hairston busted out of his home run drought in a loud way, taking a full count pitch over the street down the right field line for his 26th of the year to lead off the game. Contrades followed two pitches later with a 414-foot blast to left center to give ASU an immediate 2-0 lead. Carlon followed with a cool 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Second inning
Roellig led the frame off with a single and stole second. With two outs, Moutzouridis singled to left field and Roellig made an aggressive turn around third to take home but was thrown out on a dart by the left fielder to keep ASU off the board in the frame. After getting two quick outs, Carlon’s velocity noticeably dropped and a four pitch walk led to ASU pulling him from the game for precautionary reasons due to shoulder stiffness. Colin Linder entered in an emergency relief appearance and got a strikeout to keep it a 2-0 ball game.
Third inning
Contrades continued to demolish baseball’s with a 410-foot blast for his second of the game to give ASU a 3-0 lead. Smaldino reached on a two-out error but ASU couldn’t tack on to the lead. UH notched back-to-back-back one out RBIs on a triple, single and double to tie the game. Linder was able to strand the go-ahead run at third behind a flyout and strikeout to keep things tied at 3.
Fourth inning
The Sun Devils lined into a pair of hard outs to start the frame before Briggs’ two-out walk but that was the only ASU action. UH notched a leadoff walk which took second on a wild pitch and third on a failed pickoff error by Linder. A strikeout and walk followed to put runners on the corners with one out. But Houston lined a squeeze bunt right at a charging Smaldino from first, who easily threw back over the first to double up the runner and keep it a 3-3 game.
Fifth inning
Hairston and Contrades each had balls with 100+ exit velos robbed from being hit by nice defensive plays. Toigo walked but a popout by Smaldino ended the threat. Houston got a one-out double that got lost in the lights but Overbay stood strong, knocking down a comebacker and getting the out at first and then striking out the Houston cleanup batter to strand the runner at third.
Sixth inning
Roellig reached on a one-out infield single and moved to second on a fielder’s choice but a nice play by the UH third baseman on a do-or-die hop off a Briggs chopper put another zero ion the board for ASU. Overbay worked ASU’s first 1-2-3 frame since the first inning.
Seventh inning
Hairston reached on a one-out error but a 1-5-3 double play (with the shift) led to just the minimum batting in the frame. Like yesterday, Houston took its first lead with a solo shot to leadoff the bottom of the seventh before Overbay set the rest of the side down.
Eighth inning
Smaldino notched a one-out double down the left field line and moved to third on a Michel ground out. An incredible diving snag from the Cougar first baseman on a ball smoked by Roellig kept the run from scoring and kept UH ahead, 4-3. Houston got a nubber single to lead off the bottom of the frame with another reaching on a one-out walk and the bases loading on a single to center. A HBP extended Houston’s lead to 5-3. Buxton was able to settle in to get back-to-back strikeouts to strand the bases loaded and keep ASU within striking distance.
Ninth inning
The bottom of the Sun Devil lineup went down in order to force a Sunday rubber match, capped by a fantastic barehanded charging play at third on a Moutzouridis grounder.
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