Softball
Softball Splits Doubleheader with C-USA Rival Marshall, Seniors Honored

Houston Moves to 24-23 Overall and 11-10 in C-USA

Director of Athletics, Dave Maggard, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
 
Director of Athletics, Dave Maggard, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
  
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HEADLINES
Diedre Outon Named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week

Cougars Sweep Hilton Houston Plaza Classic

Cougars Beat No. 11 Oklahoma State and Sam Houston State Saturday

May 2, 2009

Box Score

Game One Box Score in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

Game Two Box Score in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

HOUSTON--The University of Houston softball team split the doubleheader with Conference USA rival Marshall at Cougar Softball Stadium, losing the first game, 7-6 in eight innings, and winning game two, 7-4.

GAME TWO: HOUSTON 7, MARSHALL 4
The Cougars took advantage of the Thundering Herd's five errors in game one and rallied in the sixth inning to take the 7-4 win.

In the bottom of the first inning, UH put one run on the board on two outs after senior Katie Bush scored on a single by freshman Melissa Gregson. In efforts to make it a double, Gregson was thrown out at second by the centerfielder.

Pinch hitter Rachel Schmidt hit a two-run double to take the 2-1 lead over the Cougars in the top of the second.

The third and fourth innings would be scoreless, and the Herd would add another run in the top of the fifth inning to improve the lead to 3-1.

Houston would answer in the bottom of the fifth inning and tie the score at three. Sophomore Casey Willow singled down the left field line just before sophomore Katy Beth Sherman reached base on an error. Senior Jessica Valis would walk to load the bases just before Willow would be out at home on a fielder's choice. Both Sherman and Jessica Valis would score on an error by the third baseman.

UH rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning just after Marshall took the 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Jessica Valis, Bush and Wagner hit three consecutive singles. Wagner added two more RBI to her season total, and now has a team-high 45. Marshall committed two errors during the inning and two of the four runs in the inning would be unearned.

Marshall had one more chance to take the win, but was unable to manufacture any hits or runs in the top of the seventh inning. The final out would be a double play from Jessica Valis to sophomore second baseman Angela Spitter to Gregson at first.

Bush went 2-for-4 during the game with two runs scored, and Wagner went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Sophomore Baillie Lott captured the win and moves to 15-10 on the season. She struck out two, walked three and allowed four runs on six hits.

GAME ONE HOUSTON 6, MARSHALL 7
Houston claimed the first runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning. With bases loaded, Wagner hit a SAC fly to right field to score Jessica Valis, who walked and Bush, who reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman. The inning would end with a 2-0 advantage over the Thundering Herd.

In the top of the second inning, Rachel Sofie hit a two-run home run over centerfield to tie the score at two, and Rebecca Gamby would hit the Herd's second home run of the game in the top of the third to take the 3-2 lead.

The Herd added another run in the top of the fourth on a SAC fly by Aliann Telles to maintain a lead over the Cougars, and would continue in the sixth inning when they took a 6-2 lead.

Houston was unable to score for five-straight innings, but with UH down 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Katy Beth Sherman doubled to leftfield, and she would score on a single up the middle by Jessica Valis. The Cougars would then tie the score at six with a three-run homer over the right field fence by Willow on a 2-2 count. The home run was Willow's first-career round-tripper. With the score tied at six, the game would be forced into extra innings.

Kelly Neilson hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to take the lead. On two outs, and one runner on, senior Christa Raley made a diving stop to throw out the final batter of the eighth inning.

Houston was unable to answer in the bottom of the eighth inning and Marshall would walk away with the 7-6 win.

Lott struck out five, walked three and allowed seven runs on seven hits during the game. Jessica Valis went 3-for-3, while Sherman went 2-for-3.

In between the two games, Jessica Valis, Haley Valis, Elaina Nordstrom, Laurie Wagner, Christa Raley and Katie Bush of the 2009 senior class were honored. These six seniors have helped the program to two Regional appearances, back-to-back conference championships and the first ever Super Regional.

The final game of the series will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday and will be nationally televised on CBS College Sports with play-by-play by Carter Blackburn and color analysis by Ann Schatz.

 

 

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