No. 2 Texas blows seven-run lead, falls 9–7 to Houston in midweek collapse

Well, Texas Baseball did it again.

The Longhorns jumped out to a commanding early lead Tuesday night but unraveled late once again, surrendering nine unanswered runs in a stunning 9–7 loss to Houston at Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park.

It marked Texas’ second straight midweek loss and its fourth late-inning collapse of the season.

Bullpen collapses and bats disappear, again.

Texas Longhorns' Adrian Rodriguez (24) swings at the ball. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yes, Texas and Houston combined for 16 runs. No, it wasn’t much of an offensive showing from the Longhorns.

The Longhorns (18-4) led 7–0 after five innings despite managing just two hits, capitalizing instead on Houston’s lack of command. The Cougars issued 11 walks, hit two batters and committed three errors, allowing Texas to build what looked like an insurmountable cushion.

But for all it was worth, Texas couldn’t deliver the knockout blow against a pitching staff that entered the night with an ERA approaching 6.00.

And eventually, it paid for it.

“Weird” hardly begins to describe the offensive performance. The Longhorns scored seven runs on just three hits, repeatedly failing to turn traffic into damage. Outside of a two-run double from Ethan Mendoza, Texas never found a big swing to put the game out of reach.

After being held scoreless through four innings, Houston broke through in the fifth with a three-run frame, highlighted by a two-run single from Tre Broussard to cut the deficit to 7–3.

Then came a solo homer from former Longhorn Easton Winfield in the seventh that sparked the rally.

Defensive miscues followed from there, as shortstop Adrian Rodriguez committed an abysmal throwing error and catcher Andrew Ermis mishandled a play behind the plate. Both mistakes led to runs.

And suddenly, it was a one-run game.

Houston tied the game on Riley Jackson’s solo home run before taking the lead later in the inning on an RBI single from Tyler Cox. A bases-loaded walk provided insurance, capping a six-run surge across the seventh and eighth innings.

The Longhorns’ bullpen, already severely under fire in recent weeks, struggled again. Texas used seven pitchers in the bullpen, who combined to walk five batters and hit three more.

Lost in the collapse was a solid start from Jason Flores, who tossed three innings of one-hit ball while working around early control issues. The outing marked a step forward for the sophomore, who has been searching for consistency early this season.

But it didn’t matter.

Texas went quietly in the ninth, striking out twice against Houston closer Ryne Rodriguez to seal its second straight midweek loss. The Cougars allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings.

For a team with Omaha aspirations, it was a harsh reminder: No lead is safe if you don’t finish.

Texas returns to Austin for a rivalry series against No. 8 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Thursday.

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