Houston did not lose Thursday night because it lacked fight. It lost because baseball can be cruel in the smallest margins — one inning, one misplay, one swing away from flipping a ranked opponent on Senior Weekend.

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Despite home runs from seniors Carsten Sabathia III and Dylan Maxcey, Houston fell to No. 22 Arizona State, 4-3, in the series opener at Schroeder Park. The Cougars had the moment. They had the crowd. They had the late-game script. They just could not close the door.

Arizona State struck first with a run in the opening frame and added another in the third, putting Houston in an early 2-0 hole. But Kendall Hoffman kept the Cougars attached to the game, delivering his fifth quality start of the season and his third straight, giving Houston exactly what a Friday-level arm gives a team: a chance.

Then the seniors started writing.

In the fifth, Maxcey turned the game with one swing, launching his third home run of the season and bringing home freshman Blake Fields to even the score. Two innings later, Sabathia III added the loudest swing of the night, sending a solo shot out in the seventh to give Houston a 3-2 lead.

For a moment, it felt like Senior Weekend had found its signature scene.

But Arizona State answered like a ranked club. The Sun Devils reclaimed the lead in the eighth, pushing across two runs on a double and an error, turning Houston’s late advantage into a 4-3 deficit that held through the final out.

The loss dropped Houston to 23-30 overall and 6-22 in Big 12 play, while Arizona State improved to 35-17 and 18-10. Ryne Rodriguez took the loss after allowing two runs in 0.2 innings. Taylor Penn earned the win in relief, and Derek Schaefer picked up the save.

Still, Houston’s offensive identity showed up again. The Cougars recorded their 17th multi-homer game of the season, and Antonelli Savattere continued one of the strongest closing stretches of his career, extending his hitting streak to 10 games with a double.

For Houston, this was not a blowout. It was not a rollover. It was a reminder of what this team has been when it is at its best: dangerous, emotional, and capable of making ranked teams uncomfortable.The Cougars get another shot Friday night at 6:30 p.m., with the regular-season finale set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Schroeder Park.