Down in the ninth inning, Texas rallies to a crucial comeback conquest over Houston

Down to their last two outs on Sunday, Texas showed some fight in a comeback victory at Houston, a 13-8 win that helped the Longhorns avoid what would have been a disastrous series loss to the last-place team in the Big 12.

Texas had beaten Houston on Saturday but lost to the Cougars on Friday. The Longhorns lost a series this month against 12th-place BYU. With the series win in Houston, Texas remained in fourth place in the conference standings.

Texas (22-15, 9-6) trailed 8-5 as it entered the ninth inning, and things didn't particularly look rosy when pinch-hitter Casey Borba struck out to start the final frame.

Baseball games, however, don't end after 25 outs. Jared Thomas started UT's rally with a double and scored after Dee Kennedy singled and Houston (17-18, 5-13) committed an error. Texas then tied it 8-8 on Peyton Powell's two-run home run before Jalin Flores lifted the Longhorns to a lead with a solo shot to left field.

Texas went on to score four more times in the eight-run inning. Eight of the 14 hits that UT recorded came in the ninth, and Max Belyeu also homered in the session.

Gage Boehm, who was the winning pitcher on Saturday, closed out the Cougars in the bottom of the ninth.

Texas will return to UFCU Disch-Falk Field for four games this week. The Longhorns host UTRGV (17-15) on Tuesday before TCU (22-12, 7-11) comes to town this weekend for a three-game series.

Tuesday's game

UT-Rio Grande Valley (17-15) at Texas (22-15), 6:30 p.m., LHN, 1300