Tulane University
Houston
Baseball Struggles Continue in 8-0 Loss At Houston
Mar 22, 2002 | Baseball
March 22, 2002
HOUSTON, Texas - Houston pitcher Brad Sullivan struck out a career-high 15 batters as the Tulane University baseball team dropped a C-USA series opening contest to the host Cougars 8-0 Friday evening at Cougar Field.
Sophomore designated hitter Turner Brumby went 2-for-3, but accounted for half of the Tulane hit total as the Green Wave's offensive woes continue. With the loss, Tulane's second straight by a shutout, the Green Wave drops to 13-10 overall and 1-3 in league action. Houston, meanwhile, improves to 16-7 on the year and 3-1 in C-USA play.
Sophomore Michael Aubrey and junior Jon Kaplan each had hits for the Green Wave, but the contest belonged to Sullivan as the sophomore right-hander seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He allowed multiple baserunners only once, retired the side in order four times and struck out the side in the ninth.
While Sullivan was dominant on the mound, Anthony Scalise, Jesse Crain and Stuart Musslewhite each tallied two hits for the Cougars as Houston tallied nine hits throughout the course of the contest.
Houston got things going offensively in the second when Crain hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Musslewhite and scored on an RBI single off the bat of catcher Chris Snyder.
The Cougars padded their advantage in the fourth, making Tulane starter Nick Bourgeois pay for a pair of free passes when first baseman Brett Cooley hammered a three-run homer over the right field fence to plate Musslewhite and Snyder who reached on back-to-back, one-out walks to put Houston ahead 4-0.
Things got worse for the Green Wave in the fifth when Scalise hit a leadoff single and stole second, Hyung Cho walked, and Crain hit an RBI single to make it 5-0. A single by Musslewhite loaded the bases with nobody out, but it appeared as if Tulane would get out of the jam as Snyder flew out to right and Cooley hit into what looked like a double play. But Brooks Shankle's throw to second bounced out of the glove of James Jurries and skipped into centerfield, allowing a pair of runs to score to make it 7-0.
As if things were not bad enough for the Green Wave at this point, Bourgeois was called for a balk which sent Musslewhite home to close out the scoring.
Releiver Kris Kline came on with two out in the fifth and gave up just one hit and two walks while striking out one in 3.1 scoreless innings, but the damage was already done.
The Green Wave returns to action on Saturday with a 7 p.m. showdown against Houston in game two of the weekend series at Cougar Field. The two teams close out the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start.
