The Houston baseball team erased a five-run deficit before winning on a walk-off wild pitch in the 10th inning against McNeese on Wednesday night at Schroeder Park.
A lead-off walk to designated hitter Jacob Schoenvogel started the action for the Cougars in the 10th. A sacrifice bunt and subsequent ground out put Schoenvogel 90 feet from home who took advantage of a pitch that was nowhere close to being caught by the catcher. Schoenvogel scooted home for Houston's third walk-off win on the year.
Houston (23-22) scored five in the seventh to erase the second of two five-run leads by McNeese (21-22). A bases loaded sacrifice fly by third baseman Anthony Tulimero brought in the first run, a two-run two-out single from second baseman Harold Coll brought in two more runs and then a fielder's choice and an error after center fielder Tre Jones put the ball in play with the bases loaded tied the game at 8-8.
The five-run comeback is Houston's first come-from-behind win while trailing by five or more runs since the Cougars trailed Cincinnati 7-2 in the sixth inning on May 19, 2023 and came back to win 8-7, also in the 10th inning.
The Cowboys struck for three runs in the first inning and poured on two more runs in the second inning.
The Cougars tried to climb out of the first of two five-run holes by plating three in the fourth inning after back-to-back-to-back RBI base knocks. Left fielder Ace Reece doubled in Tulimero before right fielder Cary Arbolida traded places with Reese and Jones singled and advanced to second to bring home Arbolida.
In the sixth inning, Coll became the 10th Cougar to record 20 doubles in a season after slapping a lead-off double into the right-centerfield. The second baseman becomes the first Cougar with 20 doubles since Jake Stewart in 2008.
The visitors scored singular runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to increase their lead back to five runs at 8-3.
Coll and Reese had three and two hits, respectively, while Coll had two RBI along with Jones who also had two RBI.
Houston's last two walk-off wins have both been on wild pitches. Houston ended its April 16 game against Houston Christian in the eighth inning on a walk-off wild pitch for a run-rule win. The Cougars have three total walk-off wis in 2024.
UP NEXT
The Cougars will welcome a familiar foe in UCF to Schroeder Park for Big 12 Conference action Friday-Sunday. The series will start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday's game slated for 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
