Home Runs Lift Houston Past East Carolina

HOUSTON – The University of Houston softball team remained undefeated in conference play as three home runs powered the Cougars to a 4-3 win over the East Carolina Pirates on a rainy Thursday afternoon at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Graduate student Kenna Wilkey (12-7) tied her career high with 13 strikeouts, bringing her career total to 502 as part of her ninth complete game this season for Houston (17-17, 4-0 The American). Addy Bullis (13-7) earned the decision for East Carolina (22-16, 0-7 The American) behind a four-hit complete game.

Houston's trio of homers set a new single-game best for the squad and was the most since hitting five at Tulsa on March 26, 2022. It was the sixth multi-home run game for the team this season, with Bree Cantu and Turiya Coleman's back-to-back blasts in the first inning marking the second time Houston has clubbed consecutive home runs this season.

Player Highlights:

Bree Cantu: 1-3, R, RBI, HR
Turiya Coleman: 1-2, R, RBI, HR, BB
Emma Robertson: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR
Kenna Wilkey: 6.0 IP, W, 1 H, 0 R, 7 SO

Game Highlights:

Cantu has reached base in each of her last seven games, the longest active streak on the team.
Robertson posted her third multi-RBI game of the season.
Houston is 4-2 when wearing their icy white uniforms this year.
Coleman stole her 15^th base of the season. She's one swipe away from tying Kim Nesloney (2005), Christa Raley (2007) and Riane Netardus (2002) for ninth on Houston's single-season list.
Coleman has 25 RBIs on the season, leading the Cougars.

Key Innings
1^st | Cantu put Houston up early with a home run to left-center. Her 10^th career homer gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead. Coleman immediately followed it up with a solo shot to right field for her eighth home run of the year.

4^th | After Katy Repa reached with a single through the left side, Robertson extended Houston's lead to four with her second home run in as many games.

7^th | East Carolina, having cut its deficit to two with a pair of solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, was looking to complete the comeback for its first win in league play. Bailee Wilson singled to start the inning, then scored on a Taudrea Sinnie double. A pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs, but Wilkey shut the door with her 13^th strikeout of the game to seal the 4-3 win.

UP NEXT
Houston continues the series against East Carolina with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Team Stats

Bree Cantu

Turiya Coleman

Katy Repa

Emma Robertson

Players Mentioned

Bree Cantu

Turiya Coleman

Katy Repa

Emma Robertson

Kenna Wilkey

Players Mentioned

Bree Cantu

Turiya Coleman

Katy Repa

Emma Robertson

Kenna Wilkey

Upcoming Events

Recent Results