April 30, 2007

IRVING - Angel Shamblin was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week Monday afternoon for the fourth time this season and ninth time of her career as announced by the league office. The Florida native is only one of three pitchers in league history to win the weekly honor nine times. She joins Lindsay Chouinard (DePaul) and Aja Sherman (Louisville).

Shamblin put together her seventh consecutive weekend of picking up a pair of victories from the circle in Conference USA action as Houston (37-15, 18-3 C-USA) clinched the program's first regular-season conference championship by winning two of three games at East Carolina.

Shamblin went 2-0 with a 0.44 ERA and has won her last 16 regular-season conference decisions dating back to last season. She held ECU to a .164 batting average as the Cougars snapped the Pirates home winning streak at six series dating back to last season.

The Florida native opened the weekend, tossing her third consecutive conference shutout, a three-hitter, opposite of ECU's and Conference USA's career strikeout leader Keli Harrell. Shamblin set the tone early by retiring the first 10 ECU hitters she faced, five of them via the strikeout. She racked a total of nine Ks as the Pirates failed to have a runner reach third base.

Shamblin outdueled reigning C-USA Pitcher of the Week Toni Paisley in the series finale en route to her 25th victory of the season. The junior right-hander pitched out of jams in three of the first four frames after the Houston defense committed a pair of errors after replacing Conference USA Player of the Year candidate Jessica Valis at shortstop.

Shamblin's lone blemish on the weekend was a solo home run in the sixth inning that ended her 30.1 consecutive scoreless innings streak in conference play that dated back to the UTEP series finale on April 8. With one out and runners on first and second base in the ninth inning, Shamblin closed out the game in-style, recording back-to-back Ks to secure Houston's 3-1 victory.

Shamblin is the only hurler in C-USA to post multiple wins in each of her first seven series. She also closes to within 10 strikeouts of tying Jenny Johnson (2001-04) for the top spot on the program's career strikeout list.

Houston returns to the diamond and concludes the regular-season schedule this weekend against Marshall. Saturday's doubleheader gets underway at 1pm from the Cougar Softball Stadium. Live stats via GameTracker will be available on UHCougars.com