Designated hitter Derrick Cherry registered three hits and a single RBI in University of Houston’s 4-1 upset of No. 9 Texas A&M at Don Sanders Field on Tuesday.
The Cougars found their stride in the first inning with a pair of scores after A&M left-hand pitcher Chandler Jozwiak allowed Blake Way to hit a double RBI into right center field, bringing in Jared Triolo to score in the second at-bat.
Jozwiak’s struggles continued through the first inning when Cherry hit a single RBI to right center field, putting Way over home plate to extend the lead to 2-0.
A&M came up short at the plate once again in the following inning after the Houston defense capitalized on a pair of ground-outs and a pop fly, putting the Cougars back on the plate in the bottom of the second.
After hitting second baseman Brad Burkel on the first pitch, catcher Kyle Lovelace singled to Jozwiak and then advanced to second after a throwing error. This error allowed Burkel to score an unearned run and move the score to 3-0 with no outs.
“Give Houston credit,” A&M head coach Rob Childress told 12thman.com. “They were the aggressors early. They put two runs up in the first and then we gave them a couple of runs with the throwing error and the wild pitch.”
Childress made the call to take Jozwiak off the mound after the first two innings. Jozwiak finished with four hits, two walks, three runs and a pair of strikeouts.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Chris Weber was called from the bullpen to replace Jozwiak to begin the third inning. Weber threw five strikeouts, one hit and no walks in three innings pitched.
After Weber retired nine batters on the mound, Childress brought in left-handed pitcher Dustin Saenz to take over pitching responsibilities. Saenz would also only allow one hit in a single inning pitched.
The Aggies got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning after infielder Hunter Watson grounded out to first, bringing outfielder Zach DeLoach home and trimming the lead to 3-1.
Houston answered in the bottom of the seventh after left-handed pitcher Joseph Menefee threw a wild pitch, allowing Lovelace to cross home plate to make it 4-1.
The Cougars had a strong showing from its pitching staff, with the two pitchers combining for a 0.78 ERA and one walk for the entire game.
“We had two runners in scoring position with one out and a chance to tie the game with our No. 5 and No. 6 hitters coming to the plate and we don’t score,” Childress told 12thman.com. “Those things make it tough to win, especially on the road.”
With the loss, the Aggies move to 27-11-1 overall and 9-5-1 in SEC play. Houston improves to 21-15 in its overall season record and 6-6 in the American Athletic Conference.
A&M continues its road trip, traveling to South Carolina to begin a three-game series on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.