NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Marshall's Cinderella run in the Conference USA tournament came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Houston, who advance to the NCAA tournament.

Marshall needed to win the conference tournament for its first NCAA berth since 1978.

The Herd nearly pulled it off, fighting back from the loser's bracket with two victories on Saturday and another Sunday morning over favored Southern Mississippi to get to the tournament finale.

But a failed attempt at a double play in the bottom of the eighth scored Cougar Jake Stewart, putting Houston on top for the final time.

This is Houston's first conference tournament title since 2000. It gives the Cougars an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

From Marshall University Sports Information:

NEW ORLEANS, La. (MU SID) - Sixth-seeded Marshall got two hits from Josh Valle, but No. 4 Houston was able to break a 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the eighth before the Cougars plated the go ahead run to end the Thundering Herd's spectacular run to the 2008 Conference USA Baseball Championship game.

After taking two games from third seed and host Tulane, and two games from No.2 Southern Miss, Marshall falls to 30-30-1 overall but posted the best-ever season in program history. Houston (39-22) meanwhile, earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is on ESPN Sunday morning at 12:30 a.m. ET.

Trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning Chase Dempsay was able to retire the Herd in order, sealing the Cougar's third C-USA championship, and first since the 2000 season.

Houston's Dempsay (3-3) picked up the win, while Andrew Hancock (3-3) suffered the loss for Marshall.

Marshall got things going in the top of the third when Tommy Johnson earned a leadoff walk, and Adam Yeager bounced an infield single to third base. A wild pitch sent the runners to second and third before Josh Valle loaded the bases with a walk, sending Houston starter Jimmy Raviele from the game in favor of Matt Taylor. Nate Lape drove Johnson home with the first run of the game oh a sacrifice fly to center field. Yeager tagged up and went to third on the play but a fly out ended the inning before the Herd could do any more damage.

Houston answered back with a run in the bottom half of the third when Chris Wallace led off the stanza with a sharply hit ball down the first base line. He advanced to second on a groundout, and following a second groundout, scored on an RBI single to center field by Bryan Pounds, evening the contest at 1-1 before a fly out to right field ended the Cougar third.

Marshall made some noise in the top of the fifth when Valle pelted a one-out single to Taylor and advanced to second on a throwing error by Taylor. However, Taylor caught a line drive off the bat of Lape and doubled up Valle at second base to escape the jam.

The Herd got its bats going again in the sixth when Victor Gomez singled into right center field. Jeff Rowley then singled to right field and Gomez was thrown out after sliding past the bag at third base for the first out of the inning, while Rowley went to second on the throw. A single to left by Brandon Casamassima put runners at the corners with one away. Kurt Lipton then smacked a single through the right side plating Rowley, before Bryan Tully threw out Casamassima who also attempted to take third on the hit. Johnson followed that with the fifth consecutive single of the inning, sending Lipton to second, but a groundout to shortstop ended the inning with Marshall ahead, 2-1.

Straily pitched 5.2 stellar innings, allowing the Cougars just one run on four hits while striking out two batters. He was replaced by Ryan Kiel before Ryan Lormand who had previously reached when he was hit by a pitch, stole second and third before coming home on a Zak Presley single up the middle, knotting the game at 2-2.

Andrew Blain came in and retired two straight batters in the top of the seventh and was then replaced by Hancock who picked up a strikeout to end the stanza.

Dempsay replaced Barrett Bruce in the top of the eighth after Bruce allowed Gomez to get on with a walk. Matt Helm entered to run for Gomez and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rowley. He then raced to third on fly out by Casamassima before Cougar shortstop Blake Kelso robbed Lipton of a potential run-scoring base hit off the bat of Lipton with an amazing diving catch to end the inning.

Houston got things started in the last of the eighth when Jake Stewart reached on a throwing error by Yeager and then went to second when Pounds earned a four-pitch free pass.

Hancock was lifted in favor of Arik Sikula who got his first batter to fly out to right, sending Stewart to third. A ground out on a fielder's choice by Lormand got Pounds out at second, but allowed Stewart to score from third, giving the Cougars a 3-2 advantage. Sikula retired the next batter to get out of the inning after allowing just the one run to cross the plate.