Losers of two straight, the No. 3 Houston Cougars turned to an undefeated sophomore starter in Friday's four-game series opener against Columbia at Cougar Field.
Righthander Andrew Lantrip didn't disappoint, routinely keeping the Lions off balance over 7 2⁄3 innings of five-hit ball as UH came away with a 3-0 victory to run its record to 7-2.
Lantrip struck out six and walked just one in improving to 3-0 on the season and 9-0 as a collegian. Seth Romero allowed just one hit while recording the final four outs for his third save of the season.
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Chris Iriart led the way for the Cougars at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while Kyle Survance was 1-for-3 with a pair of steals. True freshman Connor Wong added two singles in his four trips to the plate.
"I thought we came out and played a lot better tonight than the last two games," UH head coach Todd Whitting told the school's website after the win. "It always helps when your pitching staff comes out and throws a shutout."
George Thanopoulos took the loss for the Lions (0-1) after allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in his five innings, and Joe Falcone recorded two of Columbia's six hits on the evening.
The two teams will resume the series with a double-header on Saturday. Game 1 is slated to start at 2:30 p.m. and the nightcap is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
phillipe.craig@chron.com
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