UH beats Connecticut in walkoff fashion, snaps 3-game skid

Despite a late surge from Connecticut to push the game into extra innings, the University of Houston opened its threegame American Athletic Conference series with a 6-5 win in 10 innings Friday night at Schroeder Park.

Connecticut scored three runs to tie the game at 5 in the ninth.

With the bases loaded in the 10th, a Grayson Padgett walk sent Corey Julks home to score the winning run.

Julks finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs.

Connor Wong spurred the Cougars to a threerun first inning with a leadoff home run. The solo shot was Wong’s third leadoff homer this season.

The win snaps a threegame losing streak for the Cougars (29-16, 10-6) and breaks the tie between the two teams atop the AAC.

Seth Romero earned his fourth win of the season.

RICE 6, CHARLOTTE 4

The Owls rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to beat the 49ers in the teams’ Conference USA series opener at Charlotte, N.C.

With its seventh win in the last eight games, Rice improved to 20-26 and climbed into a tie for seventh place in C-USA at 10-12.

MISSISSIPPI ST. 5 TEXAS A&M 1

Hunter Vansau went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, Luke Alexander added three hits, and the No. 9 Bulldogs beat the No. 16 Aggies to even the teams’ series at a game apiece in College Station.

Blake Kopetsky supplied the lone run for Texas A&M (34-14, 14-9 SEC) with a home run in the fifth inning.

Despite Privateers righthander Shawn Semple stifling the visiting Huskies through eight innings, HBU (22-19, 14-8 Southland) tried to put together a comeback in the ninth before falling in the teams’ series opener.

KANSAS 20 TEXAS SOUTHERN 4

Fueled by an 11-run fourth inning, the Jayhawks recorded a season high in runs en route to routing the Tigers in Lawrence, Kan.

Kansas recorded 17 plate appearances in that fourth inning against four different Texas Southern (16-28) pitchers. The Jayhawks connected for six hits, including two doubles and a triple, during that frame.

SE LOUISIANA 2 SAM HOUSTON ST. 1

Drew Avans sent a first-pitch, two-out, 11thinning single into center field, driving in Brennan Breaud for the gamewinning run as the Lions beat the Bearkats in Hammond, La.

Sam Houston State fell to 30-16 and 15-7 in the Southland Conference.

NICHOLLS ST. 15 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 6

Seeking to put an end to their recent Southland Conference struggles and keep pace with the top teams in the league, the Lumberjacks instead ran into even more trouble by giving up 11 walks and 13 hits to Nicholls in a loss to the Colonels at Thibodaux, La.

SFA fell to 25-22 and 13-9 in the Southland.