Haley Outon hit her 16th home run of the season in the Cougars’ 5-0 win against Houston Baptist on Wednesday. Outon is tied for the second most home runs this season in Conference USA and third in slugging percentage. She is also three home runs away from tying the UH single-season mark.

Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar

Haley and Diedre Outon both have butterfly tattoos.

A little over two years ago, the Outons lost their mother to cancer, and it is a way for them to keep her close to them.

“Butterflies are her symbol,” Haley said. “When things go (well), it’s just a way for us to say ‘Mama Outon’s here.’”

It has inspired Haley to major in health, hoping to eventually work with children with cancer as a specialist.

On Wednesday, the day before her mom’s birthday, Haley crushed her team-leading 16th home run in the Cougars’ 5-0 win over Houston Baptist.

Haley and Diedre have formed a potent battery combination for the Cougars this season. Diedre, a pitcher, has gone 10-5 with a 2.96 ERA, while Haley is hitting .351 with a .769 slugging percentage.

Haley wasn’t always a catcher though.

“My mom caught her (Diedre) until she was nine,” Haley said. “Then (a ball) tipped off of my mom’s glove and broke her nose. It was my turn and that’s how I became a catcher.”

Becoming a catcher has come with a learning curve, but Haley has made great strides from her freshman to sophomore season.

“Being a freshman, I think she was a little overwhelmed a lot of times as all freshmen are, trying to figure it all out, getting used to a new system,” head coach Kyla Holas said. “This year she’s so much more calm, participated so much more in everything that we’re doing and engaged a lot better.

“Right now, we’re really working on those dynamics. Haley in general as a catcher, how she can have a repertoire with each pitcher, how different they are, what each one needs. Again, I think that’s just something with time you’re going to see her just get better and better.”

Last season as a freshman, Outon hit .259, but had 14 extra-base hits in 147 at bats. This year, she has 24 extra-base hits in 134 at bats and is tied for second in Conference USA in home runs and third in slugging percentage.

“I learned that sometimes going full speed for me at the plate is out of control, so I need to stay in control and go 80 percent of my 100 because 100 is out of control, but 80 percent is simple, smooth and gets the job done,” Haley said.

With 16 home runs, Haley has a shot to set the UH single-season mark of 19 hit by Laurie Wagner in 2008. With 21-career home runs, if she keeps this sort of production up over her final two seasons at UH, she also has a chance to catch career-leader Kristen Glowacz, who hit 47 home runs for the Cougars between 2002-05.

“She’s not only our catcher and leader in the bullpen, offensively she’s one of those kids,” Holas said. “She’s a sophomore. I think you’re just seeing the base of what she can do. She has so much more in her and I think she’s going to have a very successful career.

“I hope that our team success can do enough to give her some of the national recognition that she really deserves.”

UH managed only one hit and one run in the first four innings of the game.  Holly Anderson scored that run on Haley Outon’s bases loaded walk.

Anderson reached base with a two-out walk.  She advanced to second when Ashleigh Jones reached on a fielder’s choice.  Melissa Gregson then walked to load the bases.

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the Cougars received their first hit. Diedre Outon pinched hit and singled for designated player Sydney Gerbracht. Diedre later stole second base but was stranded there.

The bats finally came alive in the fifth inning thanks to Haley’s three-run home run. It was her 16th this season. The home run put Haley in third place in Cougar history for home runs in a season.  She is just three behind Laurie Wagner who hit 19 in 2008.

Anderson extended her hitting streak to 15 games to lead off the fifth inning. Gregson reached on an error setting up Haley’s opposite field home run.

Bailey Watts dominated in the circle against the Huskies. She gave up only four hits which were spread out between four different innings.

Watts pitched the complete game shutout without allowing a walk, and struck out five.

She improved to 11-7 on the season and dropped her ERA from 2.48 to 2.19.

The Cougars have an important series this weekend against UCF.  The two teams share a 12-6 conference record which ties them for third place.

UH will have to work hard in a short amount of time to be ready for the series.

“We need to make sure we are playing the best ball that we can,” Holas said.

“We don’t have a lot of time to prepare and we have a lot of work to do.”

The three game series begins with a doubleheader Saturday at noon in Orlando, Fl.  The final game is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday.

An eight-run second inning powered the Cougars to a 12-4 run-rule victory over Texas Southern on Tuesday at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Haley Outon started the inning with a walk and stole second and third base.  Jennifer Klinkert drove her in with a double to center field.

Jennifer Hooker, filling in at first base for the injured Jamie Edwards, knocked in two runs with a single.

Outon came to bat again in the inning and capped off the eight-run inning with a two-run home run, her team-leading 15th of the season.

But the Tigers weren’t out of the game just yet. TSU has the fourth highest team batting average in the nation and their bats came to work in the third inning. They scored two runs on three hits off freshman pitcher Summer Groholski to cut the deficit to 8-2.

The Cougars answered the attack by scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning to pad their lead to 12-2.

Melissa Gregson hit a two-run home run and finished the game batting 2-3 with two runs scored and five RBI.

TSU tried to extend the game in the fifth inning but scored only two runs.

UH is now 14-0 against their cross-street rival and have run-ruled TSU in 13 straight games.

Groholski threw a complete game and gave up eight hits and four runs while striking out two to improve to 7-4.

All 11 batters that played in the game for UH reached base.  Nine reached base by a hit, one reached on an error and the other hit by pitch.

Despite the gaudy offensive numbers, head coach Kyla Holas believes there is still room for improvement.

Holas stressed better pitch selection and execution.

“Offensively we need to get better, we have to choose strikes,” Holas said.

“We have been working really hard on our bunting and our base running and I thought neither of those showed up today.”

UH has a chance to improve in those areas tonight against Houston Baptist.  The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. This is the second ever meeting between the two teams with the Cougars taking a 6-0 victory over the Huskies.

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The Cougars failed to take control of the top spot in Conference USA this weekend, falling in two of three games to first-place Tulsa.

UH (27-18, 12-6) now finds itself two games back.

Houston fell 3-2 in the opener.  Bailey Watts received the loss despite giving up no earned runs in a complete game effort.

The Cougars started quickly, scoring in the top of the first inning.  Leadoff hitter Holly Anderson opened the game with a single.  She later stole a base and scored on Melissa Gregson’s hit to center field.

But in the third inning, Kendra Cullum’s error aided the Hurricane’s three-run inning, which ultimately was the difference in the game.

Haley Outon’s 13th home run of the season in the fourth inning started a comeback, but the Cougars stranded two runners to end the threat.

UH managed to take game two behind freshman pitcher Summer Groholski.  She earned her first conference win to extend her record to 6-4.  She pitched seven strong innings and gave up no earned runs while striking out three.

The four-run third inning pushed the Cougars to a 5-2 victory of the Hurricanes.  UH hit two home runs in the game.  Freshman Jamie Edwards knocked in the first run with her solo homerun in the second inning and Outon hit a two-run homer in the third.

The Cougars’ sloppy play in the rubber game of the series was too much to overcome as they lost 5-3 to Tulsa.

UH stranded eight runners and committed three errors in the game.

Anderson was the top performer for the Cougars over the weekend. She batted .857 (6-7) with two walks and two runs over the three-game set and extended her hitting streak to 13 games.

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Holly Anderson earned C-USA Hitter of the Week honors, batting .562 to go with six runs and five steals.

Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar

The battle for first place in Conference USA continues as the Cougars play first-place Tulsa.

UH (26-16, 11-4 C-USA) is tied with UAB for second place in C-USA and are just one game behind Tulsa in what has become a logjam at the top of the standings.

The weekend series features the top two hitting teams in conference play and the only two teams with a combined average higher than .300.

The teams are also on top for scoring. Tulsa averages 5.34 runs per game and UH averages 5.25.

The Cougars pitching staff will need to keep junior outfielder Caitlin Everett off of the base paths in order to stop the Hurricane’s attack. Everett bats .387 and has an on-base percentage of .431. Once on base, she wreaks havoc with her speed. Everett has stolen 30 bases in 34 tries, which is good for sixth best in the nation. She also has scored a team-high 42 runs.

Anderson earns weekly honor

For UH, infielder Holly Anderson has gotten hot at the right time. The Conference USA Hitter of the Week has a 10-game hitting streak and had three multiple-hit games, while scoring six runs and stealing five bases.

UH has struggled on the road this season posting a record of 4-7 away from Cougar Softball Stadium. Tulsa is 11-2 at home.

Not only would wins against Tulsa (30-9, 12-3) move UH up the conference ladder, the Cougars would also gain more notoriety nationally.

Tulsa is ranked 34th in RPI while Houston are just behind at 46th.

The series kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with the game being televised on Fox Sports Net. Game two is set to play at 5:30 p.m. with the last game of the series coming Sunday at noon.

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UH run-ruled ECU in the series opener 13-5 thanks to a 8-for-12 effort at the plate from its top three hitters.

Freshman Jamie Edwards grand slam propelled UH to a 6-2 win in the second half of Saturday’s double-header at Cougar Softball Stadium.

In Sunday’s series finale, the Cougars’ seventh-inning rally fell just short, as ECU won 7-6.

UH is tied for second in Conference USA and just a game out of first place.

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After two weeks off from conference play, the Cougars will host East Carolina this weekend at Cougar Softball Stadium.

The last time the Cougars faced a conference foe, they won two-of-three against UAB in Birmingham, Ala.

UH (22-15, 9-3 Conference USA) is second place in C-USA, just one game behind Tulsa.

The Cougars have a six-game winning streak and have won 14 of their last 16 games.

UH is undefeated since placing junior infielder Holly Anderson into the leadoff spot.

They are 4-0 with Anderson leading off and were previously just 18-15 when she was batting elsewhere in the lineup.

Sophomore catcher Haley Outon leads the team in just about every offensive category.  She leads in batting average (.359), hits (37), home runs (11), RBI (37), total bases (78) on-base percentage (.433), and slugging percentage (.757).

Outon has a nine-game hitting streak and has reached base in 14 straight games.

East Carolina (16-23, 4-8) comes into the weekend series struggling.

They have lost six of their last seven games.

ECU struggles on the road as well.

They are 3-11 away from their friendly confines.

The Pirates have a hard time shutting down powerful offenses like the Cougars.

They have a team ERA of 4.22, which ranks 217th in the nation.

Game one of Saturday’s double-header will be televised on Fox Sports Net at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Game two will follow at 4 p.m. with the third game of the series taking place Sunday at noon.

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This offseason, head coach Kyla Holas made it a priority to add a new dimension to the Cougars’ already strong offense.

The Cougars (22-15, 9-3 Conference-USA) are just a game out of first in C-USA and lead the conference with 123 walks, and are second in batting average (.308) and home runs (33). Their work in the batter’s box has always been solid, but this year they have added the element of speed to their game.

The Cougars have stolen 63 bases in 83 attempts this season. In the two previous seasons combined, they stole 66 bases.

“We knew offensively, the home runs, what we had lost this past year with some of our transfers and (graduating) seniors, we knew that we would have to score runs in a different way,” Holas said.

The addition of a threat on the base paths has helped the offense flourish this season.

The Cougars are third in C-USA in stolen bases this season. Their added activity on the bases also contributes to helping them stay out of double plays. UH has hit into only two twin-killings this season, second best in the conference.

“It just gives us a better chance, even if we just put a ground ball in play,” infielder Jennifer Klinkert said.

Klinkert is second on the team with nine steals in 11 tries. The Cougars have seven players with at least five steals this season.

“I don’t think that it’s any one player,” Holas said. “Top to bottom if you can steal at anytime versus having to hit them or sacrifice them over, it makes a difference in your lineup.”

Outfielder Ashleigh Jones leads the Cougars with 14 steals, sixth best in C-USA.

Jones is the type of player that doesn’t hit for much power (.260 slugging percentage, three extra-base hits), but her ability to steal bases helps put her in scoring position every time she reaches base.

“Oh my gosh, she’s amazing,” Klinkert said of Jones. “This year she’s really focused on getting faster because she started out as a freshman really fast, then lost a step last year and this year she’s regained that speed, plus some.”

In addition to speed, instincts play a big role in a player’s ability to steal bases.

“We’ve been working a lot on first step out of the box, making sure that we’re reading things,” Klinkert said. “If a person has decent speed and great reads they’re going to get stolen bases.”

The Cougars set a team record on March 1 in a 5-1 win over Memphis, stealing seven bases.

UH will be back in action at 4 p.m. today at Cougar Softball Stadium to take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

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Twin sisters, Diedre and Haley Outon each delivered two-run home runs to defeat Texas State 4-3 in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader at Cougar Softball Stadium.

UH (22-15, 9-3 Conference USA) also won the second game 2-0 behind a shutout from pitcher Summer Groholski.

Diedre Outon started the first game and picked up her eighth win of the season.  She threw 4 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs and five hits.

Diedre Outon helped herself with her first home run of the season in the second inning, putting UH ahead 2-1.

Haley Outon hit her 11th home run in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-1.

The Bobcats (22-12, 8-2 Southland Conference) made it close scoring two runs in the fifth.

Sophmore Bailey Watts came in relief and pitched the final 2 2/3 innings to earn her second save.

The second game of the doubleheader was a pitching duel.  Groholski out-performed the Bobcats junior starting pitcher Anne Marie Taylor.

The Cougars struggled to get their offense going against opposing left-handed Taylor.

Haley Outon drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Holly Anderson.

Reina Gaber brought home Jennifer Klinkert on an RBI double in the second inning.

But that was all the run support Groholski needed. She gave up just two hits in her complete game shutout for her fourth win in just her sixth start of the year.

“I am proud that she was able to finish the game when she hasn’t pitched in a while,” head coach Kyla Holas said.

“She matched up better against them because they struggled a little bit more with the outside [pitch].”

The Cougars next game will be a doubleheader as they host Texas A&M Corpus Christi on April 10.

The Texas State Bobcats visit Cougar Softball Stadium to face UH for a doubleheader on today.

The two teams faced each other on March 2 and 3 in College Station for the Texas A&M Invitational.  The Bobcats swept the Cougars 5-0 and 5-4 in the two-game series.

The Cougars (20-15, 9-3 Conference USA) are a much different team now than when they faced the Bobcats last month.

Then, the Cougars lost 12-of-15 games and averaged only 2.8 runs per game during that stretch.  Currently, the Cougars have won 10-of-12 with a six run per game average, including four run-rule wins.

But the Bobcats will be battle tested for the game.  They have faced six teams currently ranked in the top 25, highlighted by a a 1-0 shutout over No. 20 Baylor on Feb. 25.

The Bobcats (22-11, 8-2 Southland Conference) have a dominant pitching staff.  Senior Chandler Hall leads the team in wins (12) and strikeouts (113), while posting a 1.87 ERA.

Junior pitcher Anne Marie Taylor has 10 wins and two no-hitters, one of which being a perfect game against Southeastern Louisiana.

She posts a team best 1.70 ERA and is eighth in the nation in shutouts with seven.

The Cougars match up well against the Bobcats pitching staff.  UH has a team batting average of .310, which is ranked 33rd in the nation.

Junior Reina Gaber sets the table for the Cougars’ offense.  She leads the team in hits (36) and has a .360 batting average.

Catcher Haley Outon provides the power as she has 10 homeruns and 34 RBI, both of which lead the team and are good for third and fourth, respectively, in C-USA.  Outon’s .351 batting average is tied for third best on the team.

The first game is scheduled for 4 p.m. with game two to follow at approximately 6 p.m.

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The Blazers (20-13, 7-2 C-USA) took the first game of the series 3-2, and UH (20-15, 9-3) responded Saturday by winning 2-1. The Blazers had a chance to take the series, but threw it away.

In the rubber match of the series, UH’s 6-5 win was aided by five UAB errors. The Cougars clung to a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth before the Blazers scored two runs on starter Diedre Outon. With the tying run on third, Bailey Watts came in relief and got the Cougars out of the jam.

“I don’t think it was our prettiest game of the year, but on day two when you’re in midseason of conference play, you sometimes just have to find a way to win,” head coach Kyla Holas said.

Outon earned the win, her seventh of the season, going five innings, allowing five earned runs while striking out four. Watts picked up the save, her first of the season, by setting down four batters, while striking out two and not allowing a hit.

The win puts the Cougars a game up on the Blazers, and a half-game back of Tulsa for first in C-USA.

The Cougars face another challenge this week, when they play a mid-week double header against Texas State (22-11, 8-2 Southland Conference) on Wednesday at Cougar Softball Stadium.

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The Texas Longhorns powered by the Cougars (18-14, 7-2 Conference USA) in front of a record crowd at Cougar Softball Stadium on Wednesday.

The No. 6 Longhorns slugged a season-high four home runs in front of the 1,785 fans in attendance to win 15-4 in five innings for the sixth annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game. Sophomores Karina Scott and Mandy Ogle each hit grand slams.

The Horns jumped on the Cougars early, scoring eight runs in the first.  The first seven batters reached base against UH starter Bailey Watts.

Diedre Outon threw four scoreless innings before surrendering five runs in the fifth.

Joshua Siegel/The Daily Cougar

Their offense proved to be too much for the Cougars pitching staff, scoring seven more runs in the fifth inning.

Leadoff-hitter Taylor Hoagland hit her second home run of the night and Ogle added to the scoreboard with her grand slam off of freshman pitcher Ty’ara Law in the fifth.

“Offensively, that is the best team we have played all year,” head coach Kyla Holas said.

The Longhorns totaled 15 hits and only struck out once.

The Cougars didn’t give up despite the large deficit, scoring three runs in the first and cutting the score to 8-4 with a run in the fourth.

Catcher Haley Outon knocked in three runs on her ninth home run of the season. She finished 2-3 with three RBI and a run scored.

Texas’ pitchers Gabby Smith and Blaire Luna shut down the Cougars offense after that. They gave up only four hits and two unearned runs.

Left fielder Melissa Gregson provided the other two hits for the Cougars.

Despite the loss, Holas is looking forward to getting back to conference play.

The Cougars will face UAB, the first place team in C-USA.

“We can be mad tonight after the loss, but when we wake up tomorrow it is all about UAB,” Holas said, “That has to be our focus.”

UH travels to Birmingham, Ala. for a three-game series against UAB (19-11, 6-0) on Saturday and Sunday.

When head coach Kyla Holas sent out a text message asking her players if they knew any cancer survivors to throw out the first pitch of tonight’s sixth annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game, sophomore pitcher Bailey Watts had the perfect candidate.

Watts’ grandmother, Glynis Matthews, is a breast cancer survivor. She attends all of the Cougars’ home games and is “ecstatic” to be a part of the event.

“It’s a big thing for me,” Watts said. “And for my grandma to be a part of it, it touches me. It’s very moving for me and I’m so glad that she gets to be a part of it.

“Since I was little, she comes to almost every single game. She doesn’t miss home games. She’s just a huge part of my life, so this is a really big deal for me.”

Last season, the Cougars used the game to raise nearly $11,000 for Susan G. Komen’s Houston affiliate.

“If I can give something to somebody and put a smile on their face or make their day, that makes me happy,” Watts said. “Being able to contribute money, especially a significant amount of money that’s a big deal, and the fact that we do it as a team, that’s just great.”

Watts has lost several other family members to cancer, but she is not the only player who has lost someone close to cancer. Haley and Diedre Outon lost their mother to the disease.

“Haley and Diedre have been through it,” Watts said.

“ I think that on a daily basis, they have to get through it and the fact that we can do this as a team and it definitely means something to them, I think it’s different when it’s your mom.”

The Cougars have found a way to have “Mama Outon” be a part of the team, though.

“If something great happens, we always say things like, ‘Mama Outon’s watching over us,’ or ‘your mom’s an angel today.’” Watts said. “Even sometimes on the plane, if the plane gets shaky, we’re like, ‘Oh come on Mama Outon.’ We know she’s constantly always there, so this is a huge deal, especially for them too.”

Helping the cause

Last season, the Cougars played Texas A&M for the Striking Out Breast Cancer Game and drew a crowd of 1,672, a record for Cougar Softball Stadium.

The Cougars hope to draw even more fans this year against No. 6 Texas and raise money through a silent auction with the proceeds benefiting the Houston affiliate of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Cougars and Longhorns will be outfitted in pink jerseys and helmets that will later be available in the auction.

In addition to the game-worn jerseys and helmets, several other items will be up for auction, including a Case Keenum autographed picture, a Matt Schaub autographed mini helmet, a Michael Bourn autographed UH hat and ball, a Roger Clemens autographed UT hat and ball, a Donnie Avery autographed football and a Cat Osterman Team USA autographed photo, among many other items.

The auction begins at 4 p.m. More information can be found at www.UHCougars.com.

Following the game, the players will also sign autographs for fans.

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The softball program will team up with the Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For the Cure to give UH and its supporters a chance to help in the fight against breast cancer.

Along with the coaches, umpires, grounds crew and athletics staff, the players will wear pink to honor those affected by breast cancer.

“It’s a way to recognize the important woman and survivors in our lives, and to show our girls that softball is about more than wins and losses,” said head coach Kyla Holas.

Holas started the program as a way to honor the mother of a former player who had been affected by the disease.

There will be a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting the foundation. Items include game-worn jerseys and helmets, autograph memorabilia, free massages, and much more.

The game itself will be just as exciting as the other festivities as the Longhorns (26-2, 5-0 Big 12) travel to Houston with an undefeated record on the road.

They have outscored their opponents 197-42.

The Longhorns are led by Kingwood-product Lexy Bennett.  The senior infielder leads UT in batting average (.463), hits (38), home runs (6) and RBI (38).

The Cougars will need to play flawlessly in order to add to their season-high eight-game winning streak.

Infielder Holly Anderson and catcher Haley Outon provide the power for the Coogs’ offense.  They share the team lead in home runs with eight. Anderson leads UH with 30 RBI and Outon has 29.

The key to pull off an upset for the Cougars is to score early.  They have outscored their opponents 26-8 in the first inning and have a 14-3 record when scoring first.

The game starts at 6 p.m. at Cougar Softball Stadium.

The first 1,500 fans who attend the game will receive a free pink T-shirt.

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Whatever kind of funk the Cougars were in to start March, they’re long past it now.

“I know that we had enough of losing and I think we’ve had a mind-set of ‘that’s it, let’s put your foot down, it’s time to stop,’” sophomore pitcher Bailey Watts said.

The Cougars (18-13, 7-2 Conference USA) have bounced back from losing eight of nine to win their last eight games, including a dominant sweep of Memphis (7-26, 0-9) this weekend where UH out-scored the Tigers 23-1 over three games.

Two of the Cougars’ three wins were decided by run-rule.

“Hitting is one of those things that’s really streaky and hard to predict, so you just try to ride it as much as you can when you have and deal with it when you’re struggling and try to get it back,” head coach Kyla Holas said.

The Cougars polished off the Tigers on Sunday with a seven-run fourth inning sparked by Holly Anderson’s three-run home run to give UH an 8-0 run-rule win.

“I was expecting to see an outside pitch again,” Anderson said. “So I was ready and looking for it. I felt really confident going into my at bat and taking advantage of it.”

Haley Outon followed that with an RBI double, and pinch hitter Kayla Holland crushed her first career home run to cap the inning.

Watts finished the game by striking out the side and earning her second win of the series and ninth of the year.

Watts also earned the win in the Cougars 5-1 win to open the series.

Sophomore Diedre Outon followed that by no-hitting the Tigers — her first career no-hitter — on Saturday. Outon struck out eight and allowed no walks.

Watts and Outon combined to surrender just seven hits in 18 innings against the Tigers.

“I hope for them that they’re getting confidence and understanding what it takes to win ball games,” Holas said.

“We have a very tough road ahead of us. We still have Tulsa, UAB, UCF and all of those top teams in conference still on the schedule. Right now we can’t afford to lose any more ball games.”

Watts feels that the Cougars’ pitching staff has turned a corner.

“I think we definitely struggled as a staff early in the year,” she said. “And we’ve been working very hard at practice and putting in extra time just to make sure that we’re doing out part as a pitching staff and making sure that we’re backing up our hitting and our defense because that’s what’s important — when you have it all you don’t have to worry.”

Pretty in pink

The Cougars are back in action on Wednesday against No. 6 Texas to host the sixth annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game.

The Cougars and Cougar Field will be decked out in pink with game-used jerseys and helmets later being auctioned to benefit Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Last season, the Cougars raised nearly $11,000 for the cause.

“I am very excited; the cause itself is a great thing,” Watts said. “I have a family member that battled and survived breast cancer, so this is a huge thing for me.

“And we get to look pretty in pink.”

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The Cougars (15-13, 4-2) swept a three-game weekend series at Cougar Softball Stadium against the UTEP Miners.

The series began with two games on Saturday where the Cougars played nearly perfect.  They outscored the Miners 15-2 without committing an error.

The Cougars took the third game of the series 13-4, polishing off the Miners with an eight-run sixth inning.

The Cougars struggled in the first inning. Sophomore Bailey Watts gave up a hit and her defense committed two errors, but Watts got out of the inning unscathed, working out of a bases-loaded jam.

In the bottom of the inning the Cougars jumped on the Miners by scoring three runs, led by a two-run shot by senior leftfielder Melissa Gregson.

They kept the pressure on as they scored a run in the third and fourth inning each..

Sophomore catcher Haley Outon powered the Cougars’ offense through the series, smashing two home runs over the three games.

Watts earned two wins for UH, with Sunday’s being her fourth straight. She started the second game of the series and pitched all seven innings, giving up only four hits while striking out five. On Sunday she went the distance again, striking out five.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Diedre Outon got the start and pitched a complete game shutout for her fourth win of the season.

The offense did their part as well, as the Cougars belted three home runs, including a grand slam from Diedre’s sister and battery mate, Haley Outon.

UH slugged six home runs for the series.

In their series opening 10-0 win, UH got home runs from Holly Anderson, Gregson and Outon.

Gregson was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in the series finale. For the weekend, Gregson 4-for-7 with five runs and five RBI.

The Cougars continue conference play against Memphis with a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday at Cougar Softball Stadium.

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The Cougars lost two different types of games on Wednesday night at Cougar Softball Stadium.

In the first part of their doubleheader, the Cougars were outslugged 12-7 by No. 11 Louisiana-Lafayette, and in the second match they lost a low-scoring affair 3-2.

UH jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the first game with a Jamie Edwards home run, and doubled their lead in the fourth inning when Haley Outon hit a two-run shot.

Outon and Edwards each recorded multi-hit games.

The Cougars held the Ragin’ Cajuns scoreless until the fifth inning.

UH surrendered three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to fall behind 7-4.

A Sydney Gerbracht three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth forced extra innings.

The Cougars and Ragin’ Cajuns battled three more innings, until Louisiana-Lafayette exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth to seal the 12-7 win.

The Cougars fell below .500 (10-11) with two losses to Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday night. After falling 12-7 in an extra-innings slugfest, The Cougars dropped the second game of the set 3-2

Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar

UH starter Ty’ara Law lost just one inning. In relief, Diedre Outon went three-and-two-thirds innings, allowing three earned runs, and Summer Groholski gave up nine earned in four-and-a-third.

Outon started the second game and went three innings, allowing one earned run.

The Ragin’ Cajuns scored one run in the second and fifth innings, and the Cougars answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Ragin’ Cajuns broke the tie in the top of the seventh on a two-out RBI single by Megan Granger.

The Cougars had no answer in the bottom of the seventh and dropped to 10-11 on the season. Groholski earned the loss in both games, giving her a 3-4 record for the year.

“When I got here, it was so much more than I could have imagined,” Holas said. “I just saw the vision and I saw that you can sell this place as long as you could get people to show the campus.”

Since coming over from the University of Florida where she served as pitching coach, Holas has led the Cougars to 10 consecutive winning seasons, including four NCAA Regional appearances and two Super Regional appearances, all the while adapting and flourishing as the game has changed.

“In the very beginning, softball was such a different dynamic,” Holas said. “We’ve been really able to sell people that there’s an opportunity and a place for you even if it’s not one of those you used to think of as being successful.”

The 2008 squad, arguably the most successful under Holas, would go on to become the first sport in UH history to win more than 50 games, while racking up a 21-2 conference record that included seven Conference USA All-Americans.

“We had some upper-class kids who bought into the plan wholeheartedly,” Holas said. “They were a very committed group, very selfless, great leadership and of course just a very tough mental person on the mound.”

Ironically, the 2008 Cougars would come up one win short of the College World Series against Holas alma mater, Louisiana-Lafayette — the school where Holas was a three-time All-American and that now serves as a frequent opponent of the Cougars.

“A lot of times we need to schedule those out of conference games that are tougher,” Holas said. “They’re close for us and when we go there, it’s nice to have those ties. I know the area so it’s one of those things that just fits in all the right areas.”

For her success as a Ragin Cajun’, Holas has been inducted into both the Louisiana-Lafayette Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in addition to having her number 11 retired by the university. Still, when asked of her achievements, her team remains first.

“The one where our team went to the College World Series was probably my biggest accomplishment,” Holas said. “As a player, that still matters to me more than anything else.”

Nearing one month into the season with a 10-9 record, the 2012 version of Houston softball has had its ups and downs but key wins over No. 11 Oklahoma State and Texas A&M have kept Cougar fans optimistic.

“This year’s team, when we’re on, we’re one of the best [teams] we’ve ever had,” Holas said. “These kids work hard, they cheer hard and they want to win.”

Fittingly, the Cougars next opportunity to do so will come in the form of a double-header against Louisiana-Lafayette beginning today at 4 p.m.

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The No. 23 Cougars (7-2) will catch some sunshine this weekend  for a five-game swing hosted by UC Santa Barbara.

The Cougars fell a few spots in this week’s ESPN.com rankings after a 2-2 performance last weekend.

Despite the mediocre record from last weekend, the Cougars have dominated their opposition through nine games.

As a team, UH is hitting .377, while holding opponents to just a .224 average.

Outfielder Reina Gaber is leading the Cougars in hitting (.520) and won Conference USA Hitter of the Week for her 8-for-14, six run, five RBI weekend.

On the mound Diedre Outon won Conference USA Pitcher of th Week in the opening week, and Bailey Watts tossed at no-hitter in UH’s 9-0 win over UL-Monroe.

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Sophomore Bailey Watts no-hit Louisiana-Monroe to open the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday to lead UH to a 9-0 five-inning win.

Watts struck out six and the Cougars scored in every inning.

The strong starting pitching didn’t carry over to the nightcap of the doubleheader against McNeese State. Starter Diedre Outon gave up three runs in the first inning and Summer Groholski allowed two more in two-thirds innings of work.

Watts pitched five-and-a-third innings in relief for her second appearance of the day, allowing one run, but the Cougars’ comeback fell short as they earned their first loss of the season 6-5.

Sunday followed a similar pattern as the Cougars opened with a 13-0 rout of ULM, surrendering just four hits.

Freshman Summer Groholski started the game and went four innings.  Ty’Ara Law finished off the shutout by forbidding a hit in her one inning of work.

Freshman infielder Jaime Edwards powered the Cougars’ offense with her first-career grand slam in the third inning to start the scoring outburst.

Junior third baseman Holly Anderson crushed a three-run home run in the fourth, part of an eight-run inning.

In the second half of Sunday’s doubleheader, a 5-4 loss, the Cougars’ pitching and defense struggled.

The Cougars ceded five runs and 10 hits.  In addition, the Cougars committed three errors, which opened up the opportunities for McNeese St. to score.

“It is really frustrating.  We are having too many balls put in play where it increases our chances of making a mistake,” Head Coach Kyla Holas said.  “All of the routine plays cost us the ball game.”

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