The 2015 baseball season for The American wrapped up with Sunday’s games, as one team battled into the early hours of Monday morning before falling in the longest game in conference history.
Houston was defeated in a pair of games Sunday to conclude its season, including a six-hour affair that concluded early Monday morning.
The Cougars dropped a 2-1 decision to Louisiana-Lafayette in their first game of the day. LHP Seth Romero brought a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Houston surrendered two runs in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off loss on a hit by pitch.
Houston would go on to play Rice in an elimination game, falling 3-2 in 20 innings in the longest game in conference history, surpassing a 17-inning battle between Memphis and Central Arkansas on March 7, 2014. RHP Kyle Dowdy held the Owls to two runs (one earned) and struck out 11 over 9.1 innings, while RHP Aaron Garza struck out 10 over 9.0 innings of one-run relief. An eighth-inning homer by LF Corey Julks extended the contest that ended just after 2 a.m. local time. Houston finished its season at 43-20.
Tulane was defeated 8-2 by UNC Wilmington in an elimination game at the Baton Rouge Regional. Tim Yandel had a two-run, pinch-hit single in the ninth to drive in both runs for Tulane, which finished its season at 35-25.
USF fell 8-4 to No. 21 Florida Atlantic in an elimination game at the Gainesville Regional. RF Luke Maglich had three hits and a walk for the Bulls, who completed the 2015 season with a 34-26-1 record and their first NCAA regional appearance since 2002.