After defeating UAB this weekend, the Cougars finished second in the Conference USA standings. | Catherine Lara/ The Daily Cougar
Coming into a weekend series against University of Alabama at Birmingham, first place in Conference USA was on the line. The Cougars needed a sweep to win the C-USA regular season crown but fell just short.
UH won the series, winning two of three, but UAB captured the final game 7-3 on Sunday at Cougar Softball Field.
Senior infielder Holly Anderson said getting a series sweep against good teams is hard to accomplish.
“I view it as a successful weekend because we took two out of three,” Anderson said. “It’s not really supposed to happen, a sweep, against a good team. We’re still in second place with a chance to go to the conference tournament and kick butt.”
Both teams scored a run in the first inning, but the Blazers took a 5-1 lead in the third when they scored four runs and knocked junior starting pitcher Deidre Outon out of the game. The Blazers would add two insurance runs in the sixth inning.
The Cougars didn’t threaten their opponents again until the final inning, when the team scored two runs.
In a Saturday doubleheader, the Cougars held the Blazers to two runs in as many games. They won both games 4-1 by overcoming the emotions and distractions of senior day.
“It’s such an emotional day for them,” said head coach Kyla Holas. “For them to be able to play, participate and keep focused with everything that is going on around them today, that’s just a testament to what type of girls we have here. I’m going to miss all three of them very much, but luckily, we still have a lot of softball left to be played.”
In the first Saturday contest, Outon held the Blazers to two hits through six innings and navigated through trouble in the final two. With the win, Outon has 10 victories on the season.
The Cougars scored four runs in the bottom of the first after junior shortstop Kendra Cullum came up with the bases loaded. She hit a grounder to third base and three runs to crossed the plate after an error. Anderson doubled on the next pitch to score Cullum and give UH the commanding 4-0 lead.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Outon got the Cougars’ scoring started with a solo home run. The blast to deep right field tied the game and set the Cougars up to take the lead later in the inning.
After bunt singles by freshman outfielder Katie St. Pierre and Cullum, Anderson walked to load the bases for junior catcher Haley Outon. Haley Outon reached safely on a fielder’s choice and St. Pierre beat out a throw home.
Senior outfielder Reina Gaber doubled in the sixth inning moving into a tie for second place in school history with 35 career doubles. She scored later that inning on Diedre Outon’s two-out single.
Redshirt junior pitcher Bailey Watts found a rhythm after giving up a run in the first inning. She held the Blazers scoreless the rest of the way.
Holas said she likes the way that the team is playing.
“I’m glad of the softball we’re playing heading into the post season and Conference USA championships,” Holas said. “This is just the beginning and that’s one of the things we told this team.”
