Houston Cougars outfielder Easton Winfield (0) celebrates stealing a run to home plate during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Houston, Texas. Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

After being swept by the Baylor Bears at home, the Houston Cougars were looking for redemption on the road, heading into Lubbock to face off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Cougars came home with the series win, which brings their overall record back up to .500 for the season. 

Game one

In game one, the scoring started off at the top of the second inning with Houston scoring three runs to begin the game with an early lead. After Houston scored three more runs at the top of the fifth, Texas Tech would respond and go on its own scoring run. They would add three runs before the end of the fifth, making the score 6-3.

However, the momentum from Houston would allow them to score two more runs heading into the seventh inning, putting the score at 8-3. Texas Tech tried to rally for a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, nearly catching up to Houston by scoring an additional three runs.  However, Houston would not allow any more runs for the remainder of the game and escaped with the victory for their first win in Lubbock since 1996.

Game two

In the second game of the series, the scoring began with Houston putting up three runs in the first inning. Texas Tech would respond in the bottom of the first when junior outfielder Logan Hughes singled to right field, allowing junior center fielder Kyeler Thompson to score the first Red Raider run of the game.

In the third inning, both teams continued to score to sway the game in their favor. Houston would put points on the board first when freshman infielder Blake Fields grounded out to short, but Texas Tech then responded with two runs to close out the inning and added one more run in the next inning. With the score now close at 4-3, Houston decided to step up and build on their lead, getting three more runs and making the score 7-3 at the top of the fifth.

The Red Raiders would not be outdone at home and went on a scoring run over the next four innings while Houston went through a scoring drought that lasted until the ninth. These efforts would put the Red Raiders up 10-7, giving Houston pressure to finish the game strong. 

Houston would then close out the game, scoring three runs each in the ninth and eleventh innings to bring the final score to 13-10. It was a climactic ending to a shootout of a game that saw Houston take home its second win in Lubbock in the last thirty years.

Game Three

The third and final game of the series was much quieter for the Houston offense, as the Texas Tech pitching staff found a way to vex them. The Cougars only scored two runs in the second inning, taking the lead early only to find themselves unable to maintain it heading into the later innings. 

The Red Raiders began their scoring spree in the fourth inning and would continue their dominance throughout the rest of the game, as Houston would not score for the remainder of the night. This left the score at 11-2 in the eighth inning, with the win going to Texas Tech to end the series. 

What’s Next?

The Cougars managed to take the series with two spectacular victories to start, while falling flat in the final game. They now look to bring their overall record to above .500 when they go to Huntsville for another test on the road against the Sam Houston State Bearkats on April 7, in which they have an all-time 55-36 record against them.

sports@thedailycougar.com