Houston welcomes pitcher/infielder Maddie Hartley back to home base after hitting a three-run home run during the bottom of the fourth inning during the series final against the University of Central Florida on March 29, 2026, in Houston. | Payton Gaskill/The Cougar
Over this past weekend, Houston softball faced Baylor in a record-breaking three-game series at Getterman Stadium. The Cougars earned their first Big 12 series win after beating Baylor in games one and three, but fell short in the second game.
Houston’s historic opener
During the opening game of the series, the two teams were tied at 2-2 from the top of the fifth inning until the 15th, with a total of 479 pitches thrown during that period. This is the longest softball game ever recorded for the University of Houston.
Houston ultimately ended the opening game with junior Makenna Mitchell homering to deep right field, ending the game after a long 15-inning stretch.
Houston falls short in the second game
On April 3, Baylor evened the series with a 7-2 win after taking control in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Junior Bethany Aguilar put Houston on the board at the top of the fourth, scoring from second base. Senior Mandy Esman followed up and added a run off an RBI from freshman RyLee Gardner to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Baylor responded in the bottom of the 6th with a two-RBI double from junior Abi Flores, allowing junior Leah Cran and freshman Kaygen Marshall to score and tie the game.
The Bears proceeded to score five more runs in the 6th inning alone, all driven in by RBIs. Houston was unable to recover from this deficit during their next batting sequence, forcing them to end the game at 7-2.
Houston rebounds in series finale
The Cougars bounced back on April 4, dominating Baylor in the final game of the conference road series. Freshman Ronnie Esparza set four career highs during this game alone, which included 3 hits, 2 homers, 3 RBIs and 2 runs. Five Cougars recorded multi-hit performances in the series closer.
Houston took the lead in the top of the third inning when Mitchell doubled to right field, bringing home Aguilar and sophomore Madox Mitchael. Baylor’s only run came in the bottom of the inning when senior Brooklyn Carter scored.
Houston extended its lead over the next three innings. In the fifth, Gardner scored from first, and Esparza hit her first career home run to make it 5-1. Mitchael added a two-RBI double, driving in sophomore Isabel Cintron and Aguilar.
Home runs from Esman and Esparza in the sixth pushed Houston’s lead to 10-1 and secured the series win.
What’s next?
Houston will travel to Provo, Utah, to face BYU (11-25) in a series from April 9-11. Winning in Utah could prove difficult, but winning the series would improve Houston’s standings in the Big 12 conference, which could help the team heading into the postseason.
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