Cougars scuffle in series opener in setback to Bulls

A potent offense and a pitcher projected to go early in the first round proved too much to overcome for the University of Houston.

David Villar hit two home runs and drove in four runs to back six-plus strong innings by Shane McClanahan as South Florida opened an important weekend series with a 9-6 victory over the Cougars on Friday night at Schroeder Park.

UH (17-12, 4-3) lost for the fourth time in the last five games, falling one game behind USF and East Carolina in the American Athletic Conference race.

The Bulls roughed up UH lefthander Trey Cumbie, who allowed eight runs (all earned) and three home runs before exiting with two outs in the fourth inning.

The eight runs matched a season high allowed by Cumbie and snapped a streak of four consecutive quality starts.

“He didn’t keep the ball down,” UH coach Todd Whitting said. “That’s a good offensive team, and they made him pay for it.”

Villar hit a solo home run in the first inning and a three-run shot in the fourth. Joe Genord added a two-run homer in the third. All three of the Bulls’ home runs off Cumbie came with two outs.

Villar and Genord combined to go 5-for-9 with six RBIs.

McClanahan, a lefthander projected as a top-10 pick in the June major league baseball draft, retired nine straight batters to begin the game and held the Cougars to one hit before Connor Hollis’ leadoff homer to begin the sixth. Mixing a changeup with a fastball that reached 97 mph, McClanahan ran into trouble with three walks in the seventh.

McClanahan allowed three hits, five runs (all earned) with eight strikeouts and five walks in 6 1⁄3 innings.

“That’s top half of the first round stuff right there,” Whitting said.

UH threatened to rally with four runs in the seventh on a pair of two-run singles by Jared Triolo and Joe Davis.

Triolo went 4-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 14 straight games.