taylor wall tonight. that will do it for the cougars. time for the seventh inning stretch. of movement.

everything looks the same coming out of his hand. he's shown why he is one of the top pitchers in this conference. he is going to be a professional one day. he is taking all the sting out of the cougars tonight. >> matt: here's a look at all six of his strikeouts. the last one here in the -- he allowed one hit for a two out

single by ansley back in the sixth inning. >> steve: we'll see if graham keeps him in the game. if i'm wall i would be pleading my case to stay out there. he's only given up one hit. >> matt: bottom of the seventh and new pitcher out there for the houston cougars. and the new pitcher -- >> steve: tanner shiflett. >> matt: a sophomore out of texas. east junior college. his numbers his fifth appearance on this season. he has not been used that much. shiflett no record. 1.17 e.r.a.. five hits allowed. three walks.

three strikeouts. hitting .192 against him. third pitcher used by the cougars tonight. >> steve: has diego going to the

expects this from a guy you are looking for a specialist is awesome. >> matt:

>> matt: s looks like he got a piece of his jersey. going to have a pinch runner for him right here. >> steve: he doesn't run well. >> matt: exactly the point. he does not run well. the tenth runner will be much anymore. usually the definition of a -- the pitcher has to show distance and direction on that kick off throw. >> matt: houston has six walks three overteem by foodnight.

count is 0-1 to jimmy comerota. he has stepped in for hague tonight. hague the all time shortstop for the ice owls team tonight. on the bench tonight as wayne graham has gotten to that point to see what can we do to get rick hague out of his funk. we talked about it earlier. if you're just now joining us. everyone goes through that. we're going to let them play the way out of it. and then l we'll sit him on the bench and watching the ball game in any way help. interesting to see if he's in the starting lineup tomorrow night. >> steve: the guy goes out there day after day. gets more timid and defensive. sit him down. make he gets mad. that's the worst case scenario. i'm going to go out there on my

own time. if a guy has trouble throwing. you just go out there and let it go. whatever happens, happens. you don't want to go out. >> matt: count now 2-1 to comerota. wayne graham remains confident that this team will get the shift on the right track that they will loosen up and start playing and reach the expectation level which is large. this is team that is ranked in the, finished in the top ten a year ago. and cannot get the ball out of the glove. that will be a stolen base. >> steve: that is a great pitch to run. had a hard time getting the grasp. it looked like he jumped out there a little bit too quick. didn't let that ball travel.

sometimes when you reach for that ball you don't have as clean as a transfer. >> matt: that's the first stolen base for luna. five pitch walk for comerota. that sprints down to first base. runners at first and second. consecutive walks by shiflett. that will bring up gonzales that walked all three times he has been up in this ball game. >> steve: we talked about gonzales playing first base tonight instead of comerota that moved over to shortstop. he's done a nice job. interesting to see if he plays first base all series or going to pitch as well. >> matt: pitch missed low. 1-0. this rice team they have been down this road before. they are 1-2 in the conference.

they look like they are six out of the way for evening up their conference usa record at 2-2. their 2005 team started out 0-3 and got swept by san jose state in their opening series. and rebounded to win the league that year. and wayne said when i did that season i told the guys to bring pressure enjoy yourself, relax. we'll see if that's the right button to push with this team. >> steve: he likes to apply pressure. most guys it does. some guys it doesn't. but that's what he is good at. is recognizing what players need what buttons to push. what is nice to have a good tradition at a school is not a lot of panic that sits in. game to game or even within a game. >> matt: ball is ripped into right field for a base hit.

luna gets waved around. gets cut off. thrown to first. saved there. another run in. 6-0 rice. and first for abe gob salless. his fifth rbi of the season. >> steve: did a nice job of waiting on a pitch he he's been looking to pull that ball. got a pitch that can go into his will house. for some reason they kept the runner off the plate. >> matt: brings up mozingo. ten hits. only one hit for houston. that came way back in the first inning. here comes rayner. >> steve: two quick outs by shiflett. walked manuel. as soon as he got that base

runner. he divided his attention. he got out of whack. >> matt: that is interesting in talking to both of the head coaches it was kind of similar problem that wayne graham talked about some of the his pitches. pitching with a runner on base. of course you having pitched as long as grow did it does pose a problem for pitchers oftentimes. >> steve: yeah. especially in tight situations. it's a close ball game. you really have to commit. you have to throw each pitch. that is one thing that rayner noble does that i like. you see most college coaches calling every pitch. he knows to let the catchers call the pitch.

here's the junior left hander. stuck i out of texas. he is making his l sent appearance. sixth out of the bull pen.

no record. 2.7 e.r.a.. ten innings. seven hits. hitting .237 against him. it's the same problem we've seen with a lot of these houston that's the base on balls. >> they all have l good strikeout totals. like i said innings pitched. you want to come in there and attack guys. kind of needs to be the montaria of their pitching staff a little bit. start getting ahead. throw their best pitch. one on one count. >> matt: what happened with shiflett? was it the base runner? he walked manuel. and got the stolen base seemed to unrattle his inning. >> steve: as soon as he got to the stretch sometimes that quick move to home plate gets

you out of your movement. typically it's the biggest problem from pitchers from seven years old to 45 is that most guys get their bodies ahead of their arms. it flattens out pitches or lose release point for whatever reason. >> matt: chad mozingo now face stuck coy. they signed him and pitched; right? >> steve: okay. >> matt: you're talking about. he was a relief pitcher. we're talking about a guy that was in the starting rotation for a national league

championship team. he won a world championship and still getting it done. >> steve: how about roscoe? >> matt: pop up on the left side. and a play is made by gracey to end the inning. another run in for rice. and will go

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>> matt: css fan is a web site put together for fans. voice their opinion on the latest of sports and entertainment you can visit csssports.com and click the fansode link. i'm told the rain is starting to blow in here from houston, texas. it's hard to tell it's raining. it looks more like a mist. >> steve: it does. a little bit heavier stuff tomorrow. nothing is raining harder than taylor wall assortment. >> matt: he put a beat down on houston. he has not allowed a hit since ansley back in the first inning. one down here in the eighth. i've enjoyed this weather.

it is perfect. i would say 85% of the baseball games i have called have been in winter like conditions. >> steve: it has been a rough winter. the last couple of weeks has been beautiful. >> matt: two summers ago i was in tuscaloosa. it was like football season. comerota nice play. short throw by comerota. gonoceleless was able to hold with it. >> steve: that's twice he bailed out comerota. nice to create a lot of -- see derrick saving his arm a little bit by using his feet. >> matt: kelso quickly behind. 0-1. waste nothing time going at the hitters.

one hit shutout for the sophomore tonight. >> steve: he is making enough pitchers. that was a back door slider. he hasn't thrown that pitch all game. >> matt: kelso broke the string of houston cougars getting set down when he walked a the the top of the sixth inning. reached third. but stranded there. ball is hit to the first baseman. how about gonzales working the bag here in the eighth inning. a couple of nice games. the cougars go quietly here in

>> matt: bottom of the eighth inning with houston trailing rice houston he opener of the three game series between the

t matt: the outside gr

have been an offensive guy. >> matt: no i had a glove. i could catch the ball. they come in the ninth inning. >> steve: dime of a dozen. >> matt: if they come in. they come in the ninth inning. >> steve: fast righhander to get to. not easy for ratterree to cover

those pitch. the fast balls are so good they seem to dart under the bat most of the time. >> matt: rendon takes a strike. driven in a run with a sacrifice fly. he has a base hit. he scored a run. rendon batting probably for the final time tonight. swings and misses. was swinging for the fence on on that one. >> steve: taking a shot at it. he looks >> steve: yo

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