Houston Baseball secured an 8-2 victory over Alabama at the Frisco Classic on Sunday, held at Riders Field in Frisco, Texas. The Cougars’ win was led by sophomore pitcher Kendall Hoffman, who delivered a strong performance by pitching 7.2 innings and allowing only two runs while striking out five batters.
Alabama entered the matchup as the only undefeated team in the tournament but struggled against Houston’s pitching and offense. Myles Upchurch started for Alabama and took the loss after giving up two runs on four hits over 3.2 innings.
Freshman Blake Fields contributed significantly at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Senior Dylan Maxcey added two hits and drove in three runs. Redshirt sophomore Xavier Perez also had a multi-hit game, recording a double and scoring twice.
Houston took an early lead in the third inning when Maxcey singled to bring home two runners following a walk from McClane Helton and a single from Fields. The Cougars extended their advantage in the fifth inning with three consecutive singles, an error that allowed another run, and a sacrifice fly from senior Antonelli Savattere.
Alabama responded with its first run in the bottom of the fifth on hits by Bryce Fowler but remained behind throughout the game. In later innings, Houston continued to add to its lead through timely hitting by Irvin Weems III, Cade Climie, and Peyton Dickens.
With this win, Houston has now defeated teams from each of the other Power 4 conferences during this tournament. Players Fields, Maxcey, and Carsten Sabathia III were named to the Frisco Classic All-Tournament team. Maxcey achieved his 25th career multi-hit game during Sunday’s contest.
Hoffman set new personal bests for innings pitched (7.2), batters faced (30), and pitches thrown (109). Houston also out-hit all three opponents it faced over the weekend.
The Cougars will return home to Schroeder Park for their next game against Sam Houston as part of the Don Sanders Cup series on Tuesday evening.
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