Brett Cooley's three-run homer in the first inning spoiled an otherwise
outstanding effort by Jason Windsor as Houston slipped by 14th-ranked
Cal State Fullerton, 3-2, Friday at Cougar Field.
The Titans, who are 1-6 on the road this season, fell to 4-6 overall.
Fullerton has its worst record through 10 games since the 1991 team was
3-7. Houston snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-3.
Houston starter Matt Varner allowed just two runs (one earned) in seven
innings to improve to 2-0, while Windsor, making his first start of the
year, dropped to 0-1.
After the Cougars' first batter of the game -- Travis Tully -- reached
on a fielding error by Titan shortstop Neil Walton, Patrick Breen lined
a single to center field and Cooley, last week's Conference USA Hitter
of the Week, drilled a three-run shot to left-center field.
From there, Windsor was nearly untouchable, retiring the next 13 batters
he faced before issuing a one-out walk to Matt Farrington in the fifth.
Windsor, who is still on a pitch count as he recovers from shoulder tendonitis,
left with one out in the sixth. Vinnie Pestano, Scott Sarver and Mike
Martinez combined to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings after Windsor's departure.
The Titans has consecutive two-out singles by P.J. Pilittere, Felipe Garcia
and Ronnie Prettyman in the second to close the gap to 3-1. But Neil Walton
grounded out to short with a pair of runners in scoring position to end
the threat.
The Titans added another run in the third when Justin Turner moved from
first to third on Kurt Suzuki's single and scored when Tully, the Cougar
center fielder, mishandled the ball.
But Fullerton would advance just two more runners into scoring position
off of Varner the rest of the way. Brandon Roznovsky pitched a perfect
eighth and ninth innings to notch his first save.
Fullerton will try to even up the series on Saturday at 7 p.m.
