University of Houston
Southern Miss
UH Cruises Into Championship Game Behind Johnson Sisters
3/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 2, 2003
Baton Rouge, La. - Johnson & Johnson usually refers to shampoo and baby products, but this morning at Tiger Park it was the combination that led the Cougars to victory. Behind seven strong innings by Jenny Johnson and two RBI by younger sister Brooke, the Cougars defeated Southern Miss, 5-2, to move into the championship game of the Purple & Gold Challenge later this afternoon.
Houston improves to 10-9 and will face the winner of the LSU-Jackson State game at 2 pm. The Cougars scored single runs in the first five innings of the game, and then rode the strong arm of Jenny Johnson the rest of the way. Jenny Johnson allowed two earned runs and scattered four hits while striking out seven, including the last three in the seventh inning. It was Jenny Johnson's second complete game of the season.
As for the younger Johnson, she broke out of her recent slump with a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the second and then belted the first home run of her career in the fourth to give the Cougars a two-run advantage. Catcher Arelis Ferreris tacked on a centerfield bomb in the fifth to account for Houston's final run. It was Ferreris' third home run of the season and her 21st of her career.
Houston struck first in the initial inning, as Jaci Gonzalez opened the frame with a walk on five pitches. Kim Nesloney's grounder to third base was thrown wildly to first, allowing both Gonzalez and Nesloney to advance to second and third. Hot-hitting Jeanie Davis stroked a single to right field to score Gonzalez, but the Cougars threat was squelched with a caught stealing and a foul out.
Southern Miss took the lead in the top of the second, when Ashley Davis doubled to right center. Kim Bishop came in to run for Davis, and she scored on a single up the middle by Heather Bell, with Bell advancing to second on the throw home. After Laura Smith sacrificed Bell to third, Jessica Huerta executed a perfect suicide squeeze to score Bell.
UH came back quickly in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at two-all. Michelle Keith led off with a triple, and she scored on a sacrifice fly by Brooke Johnson. In the third the Cougars would take the lead for good. Davis led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Kristen Glowacz. With two outs Jenilee Skender hit what would have been the third out in the inning to right fielder Bell, but she dropped the routine fly to allow Skender to reach and Davis to score the go-ahead run.
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