UH softball split its weekend series against Memphis to move to 15-30 overall on the season | Deaunte Johnson/The Cougar
Houston softball hit the road to Memphis for a pair of doubleheaders over the weekend against the Tigers in which the two teams split.
On Friday, UH took the first game 7-6 and dropped the second 12-3. The Cougars bounced back on Saturday to win the third 7-2, marking the program’s 700th career victory, but fell in the series finale 3-0.
Here is a closer look at each game:
Friday
The Cougars came out swinging in the series opener, tallying three hits highlighted by a two-run single from junior right fielder Bethany Busch to put UH up after half an inning of play.
Memphis responded in the bottom half of the first, plating three of its own and knocking out UH starting pitcher Rachel Hertenberger after just one-third of an inning of work.
Down 3-2 entering the fifth, the Cougars offense took advantage of a pair of Tigers errors to score five runs in the inning.
The Tigers responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning and added another in the seventh to cut the Cougars’ lead to one. But UH sophomore right-hander Logan Hulon came out of the bullpen and recorded the final out of the contest to earn the save and secure a 7-6 UH win.
Sophomore Megan Lee, who relieved Hertenberger in the first, pitched six and one-third innings allowing three runs, only two of which were earned, to earn the victory.
In the day’s second game, the Tigers jumped out to a dominant start, putting five runs on the board in the first.
In the next frame, sophomore second baseman Paige Hulsey tripled home two Cougars to bring the deficit to three. A few batters later, senior left fielder Lindsey Stewart-Vaughn drove in Hulsey to make it a two-run game.
But that was as close as UH would get, as Memphis put up crooked numbers in the bottom half of the second and third to cruise to a 12-3 victory after five innings via run rule.
Saturday
Sophomore first baseman Britaney Shaw started out Saturday’s first game with a bang, blasting a three-run home run to left in the third.
Memphis cut UH’s lead to two runs entering the sixth but the Cougars’ added insurance runs in both the sixth and seventh to seal a 7-2 win.
Hulon pitched a complete game allowing just two runs while striking out five to earn the victory.
In the series finale, despite out-hitting Memphis, UH was unable to break through and plate any runs as Memphis shutout UH 3-0 to earn the win and split the series.
