BATON ROUGE — Eight different Houston Cougars belted at least one hit Friday night, as the LSU baseball team lost its third straight non-conference game for the first time since March of 1994, 8-2, in Alex Box Stadium.
Cougar starter Kyle Crowell pitched eight inning, giving up two runs (one earned) on 10 scattered hits while striking out nine and walking only one to improve to 3-0. He was relieved by left hander Nick Torina after facing one batter in the ninth.
Six Tiger pitchers gave up a total of 14 hits and 10 runs, including three on a first-inning error that led to LSU’s fifth-straight three-run deficit this season. Starter Brian Tallet lost his first game of the season after pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up five runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out four.
LSU fell to 6-3 on the season while Houston improved to 9-3.
The LSU baseball team lost its third-straight game for the first time since May of 1998. The Tigers haven’t lost three straight non-conference games since losing a pair to Texas and one to Louisiana College in March of 1994.
When these two teams face off Saturday, the Tigers will be trying to avoid their first four-game non-conference losing streak in the Skip Bertman era. LSU lost five straight outside of the SEC in 1982.
After getting the first two batters out in order in the first, Houston catcher Jarrod Bitter reached on a fielding error by third baseman Blair Barbier to extend the inning. The next batter, first baseman J.P. Woodward, singled past second baseman Mike Fontenot to put runners on first and second for Tyson Schweitzer. Schweitzer then clubbed his fifth home run of the season off the score board to give Houston a 3-0 lead.
The Cougars would load the bases again in the inning and a wild pitch after strike three, a dropped line drive by Ryan Theriot and a bases on balls, however, Tallet got No. 9 hitter Jason Pekar to swing on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.
Tallet benefited from a double play in the second, when right fielder Eric Lee popped a bunt back to Tallet who threw out leadoff hitter Brandon Caraway before he could get back to first base.
LSU would mount its first threat with one out in the third inning after singles by Jeremy Witten and Ryan Theriot. With two aboard, Theriot was picked off of first base by Bitter, who threw down to first after dropping a pitch. With two outs, Fontenot was hit by a pitch to put two Tigers on base again. Catcher Brad Cresse would then single to left to score Witten and make the score 3-1, however, Fontenot was gunned down trying to advance to third for the third out.
Once again in the fourth, the Tigers put runners on first and second with one out after Brad Hawpe and Cedrick Harris singled. Designated Hitter Jeff Liapri then grounded sharply to second baseman Sean Allen who threw Harris out at second, but shortstop Aaron Melebeck’s attempt to turn the double play sailed high and Hawpe was able to score on the error and cut the score to 3-2. Jeremy Witten flied out to the left field warning track for the third out.
After Tallet was forced to lead the game with a blister, Houston padded its lead by putting three more runs on the broad in the top of the sixth off of Bo Pettit. Melebeck and Allen hit back-to-back doubles to make the score 4-2. After Pettit came in and struck out the first batter he faced, he then walked Caraway and then game up a two-out triple to Lee, clearing the bases and giving the Cougars a 6-2 lead.
In his first appearance of the season for the Tigers, senior Trey Hodges lasted only 2/3 of an inning after giving up four hits and two earned runs to give Houston an 8-2 lead.
Junior transfer Heath McMurray came in to get the final out in the seventh with a strikeout on four pitches. However, McMurray failed to get a batter out in the eighth, forcing sophomore Shane Youman made his second appearance of the season.
Youman shut down the Cougars with a caught stealing, a fly out to center and strikeout, but was relieved by Tim Nugent in the ninth after giving up a run-scoring double off the wall to Melebeck with no outs.
Houston would score its final run on a sacrifice fly to right with one out.
LSU and Houston continue this three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m. This game was moved up one hour in accommodate fans who wish to attend the LSU vs. Mississippi State men’s basketball game at 4 p.m.