For the second straight week, Tuesday turned out to be a bad day for the Texas baseball team.
Texas scored the evening’s first seven runs, but the Longhorns were unable to prevent a Houston rally in a 9-7 loss at Schroeder Park. Tuesday’s tumble in Houston against the Big 12’s last-place team comes one week after the Longhorns lost a 6-1 game at home to Tarleton State.
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The No. 2 team in the D1Baseball poll, Texas (20-4) was coming off this past weekend’s SEC series win at No. 5 Auburn.
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For parts of Tuesday, Texas played like a team with momentum from its biggest wins of the season. As Houston pitchers struggled with control issues, Texas scored once in the first inning and three times in the fourth frame before adding three more runs in the fifth session.
Down 7-0, Houston (13-11) slowly chipped away at the lead. The Cougars scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning, and former UT outfielder Easton Winfield’s solo home run got UH going during a three-run seventh inning. Houston again scored three times during an eighth inning that was highlighted by Riley Jackson’s game-tying homer and Winfield scoring the game-winning run on a Tyler Cox single.
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Needing a rally of its own, Texas was retired in order during the ninth inning. Even though it scored seven runs on Tuesday, the Texas offense only produced three hits against Houston, which sabotaged itself with 11 walks, two hit batters and three errors. The Cougars, though, allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings.
Houston fared better offensively with 10 hits. Nine Texas pitchers combined to walk five Cougars, and the UT defense committed two key errors in the seventh inning.
Texas will have just two days to lick its wounds before opening a series against rival Oklahoma at home on Thursday night. The Sooners are ranked eighth by D1Baseball.
Texas Longhorns infielders Temo Becerra (1) and Adrian Rodriguez (24) talk during the game against Ole Miss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman)
Texas vs. Houston baseball: Live updates, highlightsFinal: Houston 9, Texas 7
The Longhorns were retired in order during the top of the ninth. Texas is now 20-4 with upset losses in each of their last two midweek games.
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Bottom 8: Houston 9, Texas 7
Houston trailed by a touchdown tonight, but the Cougars have rallied from that 7-0 hole. Riley Jackson’s solo homer in the eighth inning off of UT reliever Cal Higgins tied this game, and the Cougars then took the lead on Tyler Cox’s RBI single off of Thomas Burns. The Cougars added additional insurance when Burns issued a bases-loaded walk.
Houston has scored six runs since the sixth inning ended.
Now trailing for the first time tonight, Texas has three outs to respond. The Longhorns are set to send Temo Becerra, Maddon Monsour and Jayden Duplantier – the No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 hitters in the UT batting order – to the plate in the top of the ninth inning. Despite scoring seven runs tonight, the Texas offense has only produced three hits.
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End 7: Texas 7, Houston 6
A former Longhorn has pulled the Cougars closer on the scoreboard. Easton Winfield, who was the Longhorns’ starting outfielder to begin the 2025 season but then hit .250 over 24 games, hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning off former Texas teammate Hudson Hamilton.
Texas partially imploded after Winfield’s homer. After two Houston runners got aboard and Texas switched pitchers, the Longhorns committed two errors that led to two runs. However, Houston left the tying run on third base when Xavier Perez hit a deep flyout to centerfield.
End 5: Texas 7, Houston 3
Houston is on the scoreboard after getting an RBI groundout and Tre Broussard’s two-run single in the fifth inning. Houston produced its three runs at the expense of UT relievers Brody Walls and Ethan Walker.
Mid 5: Texas 7, Houston 0
So far tonight, Texas has only produced two hits. Houston, however, has been unable to keep the bases clear as the Cougars have issued 11 walks, hit two batters and committed three defensive errors.
One of UT’s few hits so far was Ethan Mendoza’s two-run double in the fifth inning. Texas also scored on a two-out error in the fifth frame.
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Mid 4: Texas 4, Houston 0
Texas tallied its second run of the game after Adrian Rodriguez walked to lead off the fourth frame, stole second base, moved to third base on an error and then scored on a wild pitch. By the time that Rodriguez made it a 2-0 game, Texas was still searching for its first hit of the game.
Rodriguez’s trip around the bases would be the beginning of a lengthy inning that featured five free passes, three stolen bases, two errors and two pitching changes. Jayden Duptantier’s infield single accounted for UT’s first hit of the evening, and the Longhorns added two more runs on a sacrifice flyout and a bases-loaded walk.
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In the bottom of the fourth inning, Texas will replace Jason Flores with Brody Walls on the mound. Flores allowed one hit and hit two Houston batters over his three-inning start.
End 3: Texas 1, Houston 0
The third inning ended with a play at the plate as the Cougars came up empty in their attempt to get on the scoreboard. With two outs and a runner on second base, Houston singled into left field for its first hit of the night. Jackson LaLima was waved home, but Texas freshman outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. threw him out at home.
Houston challenged the call, but a review ruled that UT catcher Andrew Ermis did not block LaLima’s path to the plate. That ruling upheld the second outfield assist by the Texas defense this season.
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End 2: Texas 1, Houston 0
After Texas was retired in order in the top of the second inning, Houston didn’t get much going in the frame’s bottom half. Three Cougars faced Jason Flores in the second inning and he retired them all.
End 1: Texas 1, Houston 0
Texas starting pitcher Jason Flores hit the first Houston batter he faced tonight. But that mistake didn’t hurt Flores and the 17th double play of UT’s season ended the inning.
Mid 1: Texas 1, Houston 0
Houston freshman Caleb Kimble, who entered today with two walks and two strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings, struggled mightily with his control during the first inning. Kimble walked three batters – two of which were issued with two outs – and then hit Temo Becerra with the bases loaded. Kimble threw 39 pitches during an inning that featured an 11-pitch battle with Casey Borba and a nine-pitch at-bat by Ashton Larson.
One thing worth noting about the Longhorn lineup tonight? Power-hitting catcher Carson Tinney isn’t in it for the first time this season. Tinney had been used as UT’s designated hitter in midweek games while Texas gave some behind-the-plate reps to Andrew Ermis. Tinney, though, will apparently get some rest today as Texas is using Larson as its designated hitter and Ermis is making his fifth start at catcher.
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Texas baseball vs Houston time, TV info
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park in Houston
TV/radio: ESPN+, 1300 AM
Texas Longhorns lineupHouston Cougars lineupTexas Longhorns starting pitcher
RHP Jason Flores (0-0, 9.00 ERA)
Houston Cougars starting pitcher
RHP Caleb Kimble (2-0, 7.71 ERA)