10th-inning miscues thwart comeback, hands Houston baseball top-25 loss at home to Louisiana

Houston baseball entered Tuesday night with a chance to collect its second top-25 win of the season after opening the 2026 campaign with such a feat. 

But after heading into extras with a 3-3 tie against No. 25 Louisiana, its highest RPI opportunity of the season, one botched throw to home on a fielder’s choice became the spark of a three-run 10th off a series of miscues that handed the Cougars a 6-3 loss Wednesday at Schroeder Park. 

Once sophomore right-hander Kendall Hoffman faced a bases-loaded, no-out situation off two hit batters and a walk, it took senior infielder Rigoberto Hernandez beating out a slow roller to first to put junior outfielder Donovan LaSalle on the move towards home. 

But sophomore infielder McClane Helton’s ensuing throw went just off the mark of junior catcher Riley Jackson at the dish, allowing LaSalle to score the go-ahead run for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

With a lead that never relented, it only became padded on for Louisiana once the Cougars put freshman right-hander Connor Udland on in relief of Hoffman. 

Just two batters after freshman catcher Colt Brown hit an RBI groundout to bring home junior infielder Drew Markle, Udland threw a wild pitch on a pre-home plate bounce that brought home senior infielder Lee Amedee, making it 6-3 and capping off the crooked 10th for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

The miscues were enough for Louisiana to scrape by with minimal capitalization of opportunities with runners in scoring position and the bases loaded. 

But even in erasing its 3-1 deficit in the eighth, Houston could not answer with similar capitalization while finishing 2-for-7 and 0-for-3 on both splits, respectively.

After senior infielder Carsten Sabathia III rolled a game-tying RBI single through the left side, it took a walk issued to Jackson for Louisiana coach Matt Deggs to go to junior right-hander Cody Brasch out of the bullpen. 

That move proved to be the anchoring difference for the Ragin’ Cajuns, as Brasch wound up retiring eight straight batters to close the game and earn his second winning decision of the season. 

All left Houston with its second straight top-25 loss, its second in Quad 1 opportunities and fourth against the RPI top-50. And it wasn’t any easier as just the first of two RPI top-15 opportunities at home it’ll have to have played in less than a week. 

Up next, the Cougars, at 12-8 overall, will take a weekend road trip to Lawrence, Kan., to face the Jayhawks at Hoglund Ballpark in a three-game series beginning Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m.