Final Stats
HOUSTON - Junior outfielder Travis Tully blasted his first collegiate home run, and junior infielder Kevin Roberts added a pair of triples to help power the University of Houston baseball team to a 6-1 win over No. 9 Texas A&M on Sunday in the finale of the Minute Maid Park College Classic.
After the Aggies took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Tully's two-run homer to right field highlighted a three-run third inning and gave the Cougars a lead they would never relinquish. Meanwhile, Roberts tied a UH single-game record and became the first player since Mike Medrano in 1998 to record two triples in one game.
As impressive as the Cougar hitting was, junior starter Matt Farrington's pitching performance was an equal. The Sugar Land, Texas, native limited the Aggies to only one run off four hits with six strikeouts in a career-best seven innings of work and held A&M scoreless over his final six innings.
Leadoff hitter Jake Stewart also went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs for the Cougars who nearly doubled the Aggies' hit total 11-6.
Texas A&M starter Robert Ray dropped to 0-1 after giving up five runs off eight hits with a pair of strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
Ryan Hill gave the Aggies their only offense of the game after blasting a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall in the second inning and finished the night 2-for-3. Parker Dalton also batted 2-for-4 for Texas A&M in the losing effort.
The Cougars continue their season at 4 p.m., Tuesday when they meet crosstown rival Rice in Game One of the annual Sterling Bank Silver Glove Series at Cougar Field. That game can be heard live on KGBC 1540 AM or over the Internet at www.UHCougars.com with Nick Torina and Pat Cauley calling all the action. Fans also follow the action by clicking on the "Gametracker" link at www.UHCougars.com.
After Hill's solo home run gave Texas A&M the early lead, the score remained that way until the third inning when the Cougars erupted for three runs off four hits, all after two outs were recorded in the inning. Stewart started the rally with a single through the right side of the A&M infield and scored three pitches later when Tully blasted his first collegiate home run over the wall in right field.
Roberts followed with a triple into the gap in right center and then gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead when Lincoln laced an RBI-single through the right side of the infield.
In the fifth inning, the Cougars pushed their lead to 5-1 off three more hits. After back-to-back singles by Cody Waller and Stewart led off the frame, Tully pushed both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Roberts then blasted a triple up Tal's Hill in deep center field to plate both runners.