After playing three games over the weekend, the Harvard baseball team received no break and took to the diamond in Texas for four games in just three days.

The Crimson (1-13) failed to pick up a victory on the second leg of its trip, falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a one-run game, twice to McNeese St., and finally to Houston.

“[These are] tough teams, but we have to play better,” said sophomore third baseman Nick Saathoff. “We’re a better team than we’ve been playing. It’s tough right now, but I think we’re going to be alright.”

HOUSTON 8, HARVARD 1

Although Harvard pushed across the first run of the game, the Crimson ultimately fell, 8-1, to the Cougars (18-4) on Wednesday night.

Houston only had three more hits than Harvard, but the Cougars strung their knocks together and came through with runners in scoring position. Houston center fielder Ashford Fulmer went three-for-four with a pair of triples.

The Crimson struck first in its initial at-bats when freshman catcher Dj Link drew a bases loaded walk that plated freshman second baseman Mitch Klug, who had singled earlier. Klug later registered a double in the seventh for his second hit on the night.

But the Cougars responded by scoring six runs in three innings to take a five-run lead after four frames. The Harvard offense could not push any more runs across the board, and two more in the bottom of the seventh sealed the 8-1 victory for Houston.

“We just have to execute,” Saathoff said. “Our coaches preach it all the time about getting runners over and getting them in. We’re just not doing it; we have to be tougher and more aggressive with two strikes.”

MCNEESE STATE 11, HARVARD 0

Despite playing solid baseball for much of the rubber game of the doubleheader, the Crimson could not handle the Cowboys (12-8) offense in the middle innings and fell in an 11-0 defeat.

McNeese St. scored three in the fourth, five in the fifth, and two in the sixth to put the contest firmly out of reach. The scoring in the fifth frame was keyed by a pair of doubles that brought in all five runs.

A trio of McNeese pitchers held the Harvard offense to four hits. Cowboys starter Jason Gibson made it into the seventh inning to earn the win, and the two relievers each allowed only one hit in closing out the game.

Hitless in his last five games following a five-game hitting streak to begin the season, Link notched a pair of singles to lead the Crimson offense.

Harvard used four pitchers in the defeat. Junior Baron Davis was credited with the loss in his four innings of work. Freshman Shaun Rubin provided a bright spot with two innings of one-hit, shutout work.