Softball will be looking to bounce back after losing two of its three games at the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic. | Justin Cross/The Cougar
Looking to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to Texas Southern, the UH softball team will travel to Lake Charles, La. Wednesday to take on the McNeese State Cowgirls.
UH is in the midst of a trying stretch, as they have dropped seven of their last ten games on the way to a 9-10 overall record.
McNeese State, though coming off a loss to Texas Tech University, has been playing consistently well this year, evidenced by their 13-5 overall record.
They have earned two signature wins on the season against Baylor University and Mississippi State University. They currently sit second in the Southland Conference.
After going 0-3 so far on the road, the Cougars hope to earn their first road victory of the season against a team that, coincidentally, will be playing their first home game of their season 18 games in. The Cowgirls were 16-8 at home last year.
If the Cougars are going to prevail in this matchup, a solid start will be essential. The Cougars are 8-1 when leading after four innings and 4-1 in the games where they scored in the first inning. Inversely, they are 0-9 when trailing after the first four innings and 0-4 when their opponent has scored in the first inning.
Another key to victory for the Cougars will be their pitching. The Cowgirls are averaging just about six runs a game, and in games where the opponent has scored six or more runs, UH is 1-6.
Earning runs may prove difficult for UH as McNeese State’s pitching allows only three runs a game. However, if the Cougars bring their bats and find a way to generate runs, their odds increase significantly. UH is averaging four runs a game, while McNeese State has gone 4-4 when they have allowed at least four runs and 9-1 when they hold their opponent below four runs.
The Cougars will look to earn their first road victory before returning to Cougar Softball Stadium for a three-game series against Lipscomb University Bison this weekend.
