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Baseball Beats San Francisco 8-3 For Fourth-Straight Win
March 14, 2008
HOUSTON - Sophomore Wes Musick tossed eight innings, allowing only two earned runs, to lead the University of Houston baseball team to an 8-3 win over San Francisco on Friday at Cougar Field. Musick improved to 4-0 on the season, scattering 10 hits and three walks to go along with seven strikeouts. His eight innings pitched also tied a team season-high. The Cougars jumped out to an early lead, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. They added five more in the fifth and would never look back as they rolled to the win. Houston (11-5) extended its winning streak to four games and has won seven of its last eight contests. San Francisco (7-9) lost for the second time in its past three games. Dons' starter Mitchell Bialosky picked up the loss, allowing six runs in 4.1 innings. Senior first baseman Bryan Pounds' single through the right side in the first extended his career-long hitting streak to 16 games, dating back to last season. Pounds finished 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a pair of stolen bases. Jimmy Cesario and Ryan Lormand went a combined 3-for-8, driving in four RBI. Fans can hear Saturday's game live on UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the action, while former UH letterwinner Pat Cauley providing the analysis. Fans also can follow live stats from the game via the Internet by clicking the GameTracker link on the Cougars' homepage. Houston scored two runs in the bottom of the first. Jake Stewart reached on an infield single to shortstop with one out. Pounds singled through the right side, putting runners on the corners. After Pounds stole second, Ryan Lormand delivered a two-run single to left field. The Dons would cut the lead in half, getting on the scoreboard in the top of the second when Bobby Ethel doubled in Bialosky. The Cougars erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take control of the game. Presley singled to left with one out in the frame. Presley then stole second and advanced to third on catcher Ryan Lipkin's throwing error. Blake Kelso followed with an RBI-single. Stewart then reached on an error to put runners on first and third. Pounds followed with an RBI single to chase USF starter Bialosky from the game. Reliever Garrett Luippold entered the game and was met by Jimmy Cesario's two-run single to right field. Catching the defense napping, Cesario stole second before advancing to third on Lormand's strikeout. Luippold sent Cesario home on a wild pitch before ending the inning. The Dons would add single runs in the top of the sixth and eighth innings. In the sixth, Kyle Morgan ripped an RBI-double to right field to cut Houston's lead to 7-2. Pinch hitter Connor Bernatz plated San Francisco's third run on an RBI-groundout in the eighth. Bryan Tully ripped a home run in the bottom of the eighth to cap off Houston's win. Freshman righthander Jared Ray is scheduled to get the start for the Cougars on Saturday. Ray has yet to record a decision on the season, striking out 19 in 19.1 innings. Senior Matt Baugh is slated to start for San Francisco. Baugh is 0-2 on the year.
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