UH softball took its first ever victories over Texas on Wednesday while Cougar starter Angel Shamblin tied her record of 15 strikeouts at the annual Strike Out Breast Cancer Awareness Game.
It was a big night for UH (16-2) at Cougar Softball Stadium when it shut out Texas in Game 1, 6-0, and won Game 2, 5-1, after a walk-off grand slam.
"We are really pleased with these wins," head coach Kyla Holas said. "We haven’t played in a while. We were worried we were going to be a little rusty, but it was great to take Texas at home in front of this crowd."
Game 2 against the Longhorns remained scoreless until the top of the sixth when Longhorn senior centerfielder MicKayla Padilla scored on a throwing error from junior infielder Jessica Valis, putting the Longhorns up 1-0.
In a two-out rally, the Cougars answered back with an RBI double from senior pitcher Shamblin to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, junior catcher Elaina Nordstrom hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game 4-0.
"That’s why she’s here," Holas said. "She is going to fight every time."
Nordstrom’s mother, a breast cancer survivor, threw out the first pitch.
"Those are the kind of moments that make it all worth it," Nordstrom said.
In Game 1, Shamblin was one pitch away from breaking her career record of 15 strikeouts in a game. Shamblin also held the pitchers’ circle for the entire game giving up only five hits.
"Angel was the key to the first game," Holas said. "She pitched really well, and reaching 15 strikeouts is one of her best performances."
The Cougars stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first and scored two runs. Valis scored on a throwing error from right field after stealing third, and junior outfielder Laurie Wagner hit an RBI single.
UH put three runs on the board in the third with a two-run double from junior infielder Christa Raley and an RBI single from Nordstrom.
The Cougars didn’t score again until the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Shamblin, bringing the game to 6-0.
The Cougars head to Fresno, Calif. on Friday for the Bulldog Classic.
