Houston baseball demolishes Rice in Silver Glove series-opener

The opener of the Silver Glove series was the equivalent of speed-running a video game on easy mode, as Houston baseball routed Rice 13-1 in an eight-inning run-rule Tuesday at Schroeder Park.

After the Arkansas Pine-Bluff series, where it began tight but eventually settled in the latter stages, the Cougars were able to use those lessons and apply them towards another one of their best offensive performances of the season so far.

“The past never equals the future, but we had some inexpensive experience last weekend,” coach Todd Whitting said. “One thing about these guys is that they have a quick mindset. They have a short memory and all that stuff.”

After redshirt sophomore outfielder Xavier Perez opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, Houston found its groove and never relented. 

The Cougars then scored six runs between the third and fifth innings, where senior designated hitter Carsten Sabathia III clubbed a two-run home run to left in the fourth, his fifth of the season and second in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, the pitching unit stayed on the front foot from the beginning, creating opportunities for the defense to capitalize on without putting up big strike numbers. 

En route to earning his first collegiate career win, freshman right-handed pitcher Caden Cooper threw 5 ⅓ innings of two-hit shutout ball in forcing 11 groundouts and two flyouts.

“They fill up the zone, and when they do that, it makes it easy for us,” Perez said.

This allowed Houston to limit the Owls to only three hits for the entire game and their lone run, an RBI groundout from sophomore outfielder Landis Davila in the top of the eighth.

But it was all Rice could muster before the Cougars emphatically ended the game in the bottom half.

With the bases loaded and two out, sophomore infielder Justin Cherrington took a 2-0 pitch deep over the left field wall for a walk-off grand slam to complete the run-rule, and for the first home run of his Division I career.

“That’s my guy, man. Seeing him have that moment was special,” Sabathia said of Cherrington.

For Rice, junior pitcher Jeremiah Arnett earned his first loss of the season to drop down to 2-1. In three innings, he struck out one batter while allowing eight hits, three earned runs and three extra-base hits.

Now 11-5 overall and on a four-game winning streak, Houston will now gear up for its Big 12-opening series at Schroeder Park against Kansas State beginning Friday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m.