The Cougars got off to a strong start and tested their endurance at the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic, playing six games against four teams in three days.
UHtopped the weekend with a 7-3 victory over Stephen F. Austin to propel its record to 5-1, losing only to No. 8 Nebraska on Friday.
UH came out swinging in its first game against Sam Houston State with seven runs in the first two innings. Junior Summer Groholski picked up the win as sophomore Selena Hernandez, junior Kayla Holland and senior Haley Outon ended the game with two hits and three RBIs each. UH fell short in game two against No. 8 Nebraska, losing 4-1. Nebraska pitcher Tat Edwards took control of the game early on by shutting out the Cougars through the first five innings.
The opportunities were there for the Cougars with eight runners left on base, but their three hits just couldn’t bring them in. Despite the loss, head coach Kyla Holas was optimistic about the rest of the tournament.
“We saw a lot of really positive things today,” Holas said. “We made good adjustments, and everyone worked well as a team throughout the day.”
Her positivity foreshadowed the Cougars’ future performance, as the team won the rest of its games.
Senior Diedre Outon pitched a shutout against Army to win 6-0. Hernandez, sophomore outfielder Katie St. Pierre and senior Kendra Cullum led the charge against Army with two hits each.
The Cougars put up four runs in the fifth, and junior Tiffany McKnight hit a solo home run in her first start.
UH continued to showcase its offensive power in the 13-5 victory over Sam Houston State in its second game of the day. Hernandez, Outon and junior Kris Davila picked up two RBIs each in the attack on the Bearcats, lifting UH’s record to 5-1.
“We wanted to let everyone know who Houston is,” Holland said after the game.
Sunday was another day of success for the Cougars, as they picked up two wins to bump their record to 5-1.
The Cougars had 10 hits against Army in the 6-2 victory. Hernandez and Edwards both added to the run count with a home run each and three and two RBIs, respectively.
“We just really challenged them to stay focused,” said Holas. “Overall, we kept in it this weekend. We kept pushing and fought back.”