March 3, 2007

Final Stats

TEMPE, Ariz. - The University of Houston softball team split on day two of the Sun Devil Invitational defeating Utah Valley State 1-0 in 10 innings but lost a 2-1 decision to No. 2 Arizona State Saturday in the nightcap at Farrington Stadium on the ASU campus.

"We continue to prove that we're capable of playing with any team in the nation," head coach Kyla Holas said. "The thing we need to do a better job of is to get geared up for every game. There are times where we seem to put it on cruise control."

Houston (16-7) grabbed a 1-0 advantage on the second-ranked Sun Devils in the first inning as Jessica Valis reached on a leadoff bunt single. She moved to second base on a Katie Bush sacrifice bunt and came around to score on an ASU throwing error.

The Sun Devils (19-2) responded with two runs in the home half of the frame. Jessica Mapes opened the inning with a walk and went to second base on a Mindy Cowles sacrifice bunt.

Mapes crossed the plate to tie the score at 1-1 on a Katie Cochran single. On the play, Cochran got all the way to third base by using alert baserunning. She scored the go-ahead run as Bianca Cruz knocked a single to left field.

A double from C.J. Carlsen chased UH starter Candi Kloecker (1-2) from the game. The Cougars turned to Angel Shamblin, who got out of the jam by getting a line drive and a foul ball. The reigning C-USA Pitcher of the Week fired 5.2 innings of one-hit relief with five strikeouts.

"Angel continues to prove that she is our ace," Holas said. "She rose to the challenge of facing a very strong Arizona State lineup."

The Cougars had a chance to even the score in the sixth inning as Jessica Valis and Katie Bush knocked leadoff singles, while Elaina Nordstrom battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk to load the bases with no outs.

Shamblin grounded into a fielder's choice and Christa Raley popped up to second base. On the first pitch with two outs, Laura Durham sent a liner down the right field line, but Michelle Smith caught the ball on the run to keep the score at 2-1.

"Timely hitting with runners on-base in scoring position is something that has plagued our team," Holas said. "We need to execute in those situations and find a way to score runs."

The Cougars snuck past Utah Valley State 1-0 in 10 innings. Shamblin provided the game's lone run in the international tiebreaker on a RBI-groundout. She also fired 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out five batters to improve to 8-3 on the season.

The Houston outfield kept the game scoreless, throwing two runners out at the plate. Katie Bush struck first with a bullet to the plate in the fifth inning. It was the third runner that Bush has gunned out at the plate this season. From her right field post, Laurie Wagner ended the sixth inning, firing a frozen rope of her own to the plate.

"Defensively we had an excellent day," Holas said. "I was proud of the outfield's effort and performance. They stepped up and made the difference in critical situations."

Barbie Love started the game for Houston and threw 6.1 effective innings. She retired the first 10 batters she faced and tallied seven strikeouts before giving way to Shamblin.

The Cougars finish the Sun Devil Invitational Sunday morning against North Florida. First pitch against the Ospreys is set for 9am. Live stats from Farrington Stadium will be available on UHCougars.com

"It's going to be a battle," Holas said. "North Florida has played well in this tournament. We have to bring our best game and finish this tournament strong."