After a disappointing opening-night loss to Michigan, the Cougars bounced back by winning their next three games in the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational.
“I thought they did a really good job,” said head coach Kyla Holas. “I was excited that we were able to get better every day.”
The Cougars finished their weekend Sunday with an 8-1 victory against the Stephen F. Austin.
Senior pitcher Amanda Crabtree struck out eleven batters in 5.2 innings to get the win. The Cougars (3-1) took a 2-0 lead after the first inning, thanks to a two-run home run by Baillie Lott.
The Cougars cruised to a 7-0 lead after five innings. Senior pitcher Donna Bourgeois entered the game in relief of Crabtree in the sixth and struck out three batters to record the save.
Saturday, the Cougars beat Southern Illinois 2-1 for their first win of the season. Crabtree tossed the first game of a doubleheader, pitching five innings and allowing one run and two hits.
In the second game of the twin billing, Bourgeois led the Cougars to a 10-0 victory against the Ohio Bobcats. Bourgeois threw a two-hit shutout in a run-rule shortened game.