HOUSTON – HBU junior centerfielder
Spencer Halloran provided the heroics both offensively and defensively, with a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth and a diving catch for the last out of the game, as the Huskies upset 25
th-ranked Houston, 3-2, in non-conference baseball Tuesday night at Schroeder Park.
"I could've had a better approach my first three at-bats, but I sort of figured it out on the fourth at-bat, got ahead in the count, got a good pitch to hit and thankfully put a good swing on it," Halloran said. "The catch was a just a good read off the bat and somehow caught it. It was carrying and carrying and I didn't think I was going to get there, but finally it just fell into my glove."
The blast was Halloran's first of the season and only hit of the game. Senior leftfielder
Joe Van Marter went 2-for-4 and also homered for the Huskies (3-1). Junior designated hitter
Carey Jones went 2-for-4 with a double and a run, while senior catcher
Blake Thomas also went 2-for-4.
Junior righthander
Weston Smart (1-0) earned the win, pitching four innings of relief and allowing one run on six hits and striking out one. Senior righthander
Addison Russ took a no-decision, giving up one unearned run on four hits with three strikeouts in five innings.
"They did a good job all around – we had the one hiccup on the passed ball, but Addison did a great job getting ahead of guys and getting the swing and miss with the split and Weston just came in, bottom half of the zone sinking it in there and getting a bunch of ground balls," head coach
Jared Moon said. "We caught a couple of breaks and in hitter's counts we did what we were supposed to do. It's a good win for us and when we lock in we have a chance to be really, really good."
Connor Wong went 2-for-5 with an RBI a run and three stolen bases for the Cougars (3-1). Corey Julks went 2-for-2 with a triple and a pair of walks and Lael Lockhart went 2-for-4.
Joey Pulido (0-1) took the loss for UH, allowing one run on one hits and striking out two in two innings. Starter Trey Cumbie gave up an unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts in four innings, while Carter allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings.
The Huskies struck first in the top of the third as Jones led off with a double to right-center on an 0-2 count. He went to third on a passed ball and scored on junior shortstop
Tyler Depreta-Johnson's RBI groundout to put HBU ahead, 1-0.
The Cougars answered in the bottom half as Wong led off with a single, stole second and third, then scored on a passed ball.
Van Marter ripped his second home run of the season, hammering a fastball by Carter over the leftfield wall in the sixth as HBU reclaimed the lead.
In the seventh, Jordan Monacy led off with a single, then pinch runner Landon Etzel was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a double by Connor Hollis. Van Marter dug the ball out of the leftfield corner, fired it in to Depreta-Johnson, who sent it home to Thomas to nail Etzel. Wong then followed with an RBI single to tie the game, 2-2.
Halloran led off the eighth with an opposite field solo home run to right, his first career home run at HBU to put the Huskies up, 3-2.
UH threatened in the bottom half as Julks and Lockhart singled. With one out, Jared Triolo hit a grounder to third and senior third baseman
Austin Zillweger stepped on the bag and threw across to first for a double play to end the inning. In the ninth, Nick Slaughter led off with a pinch-hit single, then pinch runner John Grimsley went to second on Hollis' sacrifice bunt. Wong grounded out to short for the second out, then Grayson Padgett drilled a line drive to right-center. Off the bat, it appeared the Cougars would tie the game, but Halloran tracked it down, slid and made the catch for the final out.
The Huskies return home this weekend to host Rhode Island in a four-game series at Husky Field. Friday's first pitch is set for 2 p.m., followed by an 11 a.m. doubleheader Saturday and the finale Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
