Softball Sports

UH softball completes sweep over Memphis, sets school records

Graduate right-handed pitcher Hannah Todd became the first pitcher in program history to win all three games a series over the weekend against Memphis. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar

The Houston softball team completed a sweep in its first conference home series over the weekend against Memphis.

The series concluded with two shutouts and two records set as graduate right-handed pitcher Hannah Todd became the first pitcher in program history to win all three games in a series.

Four steals in one game by junior infielder Paige Hulsey set a new program record as well.

Friday

Todd’s pitching led the way for the Cougars in the series-opening  8-0 shutout on Friday.

The Cougars’ defensive skills were on display early with a double play in the top of the first.

A two-run home run by redshirt senior outfielder Aspen Howie opened the scoring at 2-0 in the bottom of the first.

Back-to-back ground outs limited Memphis’ time on the field in the top of the second. 

UH kept the pressure on at the plate with four RBIs in the bottom of the second to lead 6-0.

Sophomore infielder Amanda Carden’s RBI single opened the rally, followed by consecutive doubles from redshirt senior infielder Rock Benavides and graduate infielder Becca Schulte with an RBI each.

One walk later, a homer by senior catcher Kati Ray Brown stretched the score to 8-0.

Memphis recorded its first hits of the game in the top of the third but resulted in no score.

Despite some action spread throughout the remainder of the game, Memphis had no answers and was shut out via run rule in the fifth.

Saturday

Saturday’s 5-4 victory wound up as the longest game of the season thus far for the Cougars.

Memphis opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the first.

A double-steal play from Schulte to second and Carden to home evened out the score.

Brown followed this with a solo home run for a UH 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.

A bases-loaded error opened the door for the Tigers to equalize at 2-2.

Zeroes took over the board until the top of the sixth where a Memphis home run handed it the 3-2 lead late.

Howie hit her second home run in as many days to tie the game at 3-3.

More scoreless frames came until the ninth when the Tigers took the lead in the top of the inning, followed by freshman infielder Baylea Myers reaching home on a fielder’s choice tying the game at 4-4.

No score from Memphis in the top of the tenth led to Hulsey ending the game on a walk-off RBI single to take game two of the series.

Sunday

The Cougars’ wrapped up the series with another 6-0 shutout victory. 

Brown opened the scoring with a two-run home run to left-center in the bottom of the second to lead 2-0.

A bases-loaded walk followed by a single from Howie extended the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third.

A Carden RBI double paired sparked Hulsey’s dash to home plate to stretch the gap to 5-0.

Howie opened up the bottom of the fifth with her third home run in as many days to center field that improved the lead to 6-0.

Much like the first game of the series, Memphis could not produce offensively as UH completed the shutout to extend its home winning streak to nine games.

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