No. 2 Texas blows huge lead in 9-7 loss at Houston
The Longhorns went up 7-0 before losing a second straight midweek game.
Five straight double-digit midweek wins to start the season have given way to back-to-back embarrassing losses for the No. 2 Texas Longhorns with the latest coming at Schroeder Park on Tuesday after head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s team took a seven-run lead before giving up nine unanswered in a 9-7 defeat by the Houston Cougars. Command issues continued for Max Weiner’s pitching staff after moving freshman right-hander Sam Cozart to the weekend bullpen despite a solid start by sophomore right-hander Jason Flores, who allowed one hit over three scoreless innings, hitting two batters before departing after Texas took a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
Freshman right-hander Brody Walls worked around a one-out double in his first inning, entering the game again after the Longhorns scored three runs in the fourth only to allow a one-out bunt single, hit the next batter with his first pitch, and then issue a four-pitch walk. When redshirt junior Ethan Walker came out of the bullpen, the junior college transfer traded a run for an out, but couldn’t limit the damage when Houston standout Tre Broussard drove in two runs with a single to center field to make it 7-3. A 1-2-3 sixth inning from Walker was the final scoreless inning for the Longhorn relievers as junior right-hander Hudson Hamilton gave up a solo home run to former Texas outfielder Easton Winfield on his second pitch to start the seventh inning.
Winfield entered the game hitting . 200. On an 0-2 pitch to the next hitter, Hamilton gave up a double down the left-field line before managing a strikeout, but lost the strike zone in walking the next batter on four pitches.
With senior right-hander Max Grubbs into the game, the defense for the Longhorns misfired when a throwing error by junior catcher Andrew Ermis allowed an unearned run to score, although Grubbs was able to retire the final two batters of the inning. The eighth inning went even more poorly for Texas. Graduate left-hander Cal Higgins replaced Grubbs to start the frame and induced a groundout to second base by the leadoff batter, then allowed the game-tying home run on the next pitch.