Houston pitcher Brooke Wells (3) prepares to pick up the ball during an NCAA softball game, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Houston softball could not grab a win in its weekend matchup against No. 14 Texas Tech, falling in all three games of the series at Rocky Johnson Field in Lubbock, Texas. Despite solid pitching and 13 hits, the Cougars returned to Houston without a win.
Cougars fall one run short of late comeback
After a five-hit performance on Friday night, the Cougars were unable to claw past the Red Raiders, falling 3-2.
With two outs in the seventh and Houston trailing by two, freshman outfielder Ariel Redmond stepped up and launched her first home run of the season. With a deep shot to left field, the Cougars cut the score to 3-2 and had a chance to tie the game. But the rally fell just short, with no one on base and one out remaining.
Junior infielder Mandy Esman kept the fight alive for Houston, going two-for-two with a double, an RBI and a stolen base. Her RBI double in the fourth put Houston on the board and the Red Raiders on alert.
Redshirt junior pitcher Paris Lehman struggled early, surrendering a two-run bomb to two-way sophomore NiJaree Canady in the second. Two-way freshman Brooke Wells and freshman pitcher Rylee Michalak held the line, combining for five innings of one-run ball to keep the Cougars within reach.
Even though Houston matched Texas Tech with five hits and committed no errors, seven strikeouts proved to be the Cougars’ downfall.
Houston strikes early, but Tech storms back
On Saturday, the Cougars came out hot but cooled off quickly, falling 6-2 as Texas Tech rode a mid-game surge and a late home run to take control.
After sophomore outfielder Jordee Wilkins drew a leadoff walk, sophomore infielder Makenna Mitchell unloaded a two-run homer to left, giving Houston a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Mitchell was far from done that night, adding another walk and reaching base in all three of her plate appearances.
Junior pitcher Nicole Bodeux started in the circle, but Texas Tech answered quickly, tying the game by the second and pulling ahead in the fourth with a clutch two-RBI single by redshirt sophomore infielder Lauren Allred. Sophomore pitcher Gigi Solis came in to steady things, but junior utility Alana Johnson’s two-run homer in the sixth was the nail in the coffin.
Freshman catcher Isabel Cintron moved into scoring position after a single and a wild pitch, but Houston couldn’t bring her home.
Houston had runners in scoring position in the third and fifth innings but struck out three times to end each of those threats. They were also caught stealing and left six runners on base, which proved costly against the ranked Red Raiders.
Houston shut out in series finale
On Sunday, the Cougars wrapped up their three-game series with a 3-0 loss as the offense couldn’t crack the Red Raiders’ strong pitching.
Despite recording four hits, Houston was unable to bring any runners home. The Cougars’ best chance came in the fourth when Wilkins and Cintron knocked back-to-back singles, but a fielder’s choice and a double play ended the threat. Mitchell reached base twice, including a seventh-inning single, but no Cougar advanced past third base all game.
Texas Tech took control in the second with an RBI double from junior catcher Victoria Valdez. They added two unearned runs in the third, capitalizing on a wild pitch, a passed ball and a costly error at shortstop.
Michalak allowed three runs, only one of them earned, through 2.2 innings, while freshman two-way pitcher Maddie Hartley pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief, giving Houston a chance to strike back. Still, the Cougars’ offense couldn’t close the gap.
With the sweep, Houston drops to 20-19 and 3-13 in conference play. The Cougars will take a break from competition next week before returning to the field on April 22, when they face Houston Christian at Husky Softball Field. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
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