Junior shortstop Selena Hernandez combined with sophomore pitcher/third baseman Shelby Miller and senior right fielder Tiffani McKnight to go 6-12 with 11 RBI for the Cougars. | File Photo/The Cougar
The Cougars brought their win streak to four with a 7-2 victory over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and a 12-10 victory over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at the UNLV Rebel Classic Friday night in Las Vegas.
The Cougars continued their hot offensive streak from Tuesday’s dominant double-header wins, adding another 19 runs in the two games with junior pitcher Julana Shrum picking up her fourth homerun of the week in game one.
The solo shot by Shrum was just the beginning of a seven-run third inning for the Cougars, going up 7-1 following an EKU (8-9) solo homerun in the first.
Seven different Cougars scored runs in an inning that saw 11 Houston batters combine for five hits and three walks.
In addition to her offense, Shrum was dominant from the mound giving up only two runs, one earned, in six innings of work, improving her record to 4-5.
The offense continued in the second game of the day for the Cougars as they put up 12 runs in a tightly fought game against the Gauchos.
The Houston 3-4-5 combination of junior shortstop Selena Hernandez, sophomore pitcher/third baseman Shelby Miller and senior right fielder Tiffani McKnight went 6-12 with 11 RBI, including a two-run McKnight homerun in a six-run second inning for the Cougars.
Senior starting Summer Groholski (3-2) was able to pick up the win after going 3.0 innings for the Cougars before getting pulled after giving up three runs on five hits. Miller pitched two innings of relief but was haunted by errors giving up seven total runs, four earned, in her outing.
Shrum continued her impressive day by picking up the save with two scoreless innings of relief, but it wasn’t all easy as UCSB had the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh before a grounder back to the pitcher ended it.
The Cougars continue at the UNLV Rebel Classic Saturday, with a game against the host UNLV Rebels and another against the Iowa State Cyclones.
