University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
UL-Lafayette
Softball Splits to Close Out Fall Season
10/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Oct. 10, 2010
HOUSTON - The University of Houston softball team wrapped up its fall exhibition schedule on Sunday afternoon with a thrilling game against Louisiana-Lafayette and an offensive display against San Jacinto College to split the last day of the Sugar Land College Classic.
The Cougars built a 5-2 lead before a pair of key errors and a homerun from the known power of the ULL offense gave them the 7-5 win. In the final fall game of season, UH regrouped and scored four runs off of 10 hits to close out the tournament with a win and post a 5-3 exhibition record.
"We did a good job of not having that hangover after fighting so hard to win that first game," head coach Kyla Holas said. "We refocused and came back to beat San Jacinto, who is also a good ball club. I thought we did exactly what we were supposed to do as a young team - nothing spectacular - but we took care of business where we needed to, for the most part. Last year, we lost a lot of games that we were supposed to win. This fall, we didn't do that."
Freshman Haley Outon blasted two more homeruns on Sunday to bring put her total and five in just eight fall games. Senior Amanda Crabtree came in as a relief pitcher in both games and tallied seven strikeouts to lead the Cougars in the circle.
Game One: Louisiana-Lafayette 7, Houston 5
Houston's match-up with the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, a 2010 NCAA Super Regional team marked the Cougars' toughest match up of the weekend. Outon's pair of solo shots highlighted the Cougars' construction of a 5-2 lead heading into the sixth inning.
"She's one of those kids that's a program builder," Holas said. "We knew that going in. We just need to keep her healthy and focused. We need to make sure that she's looking to walk just as often as she's looking to swing."
Outon's twin sister, Diedre, held the potent ULL offense to two runs heading into the sixth inning, racking up six strikeouts in the process. In the sixth inning, however, the freshman ran into trouble. After a single, a walk and a fielder's choice loaded the bases, Outon walked a run in, to narrow the Cougar lead, 5-3.
Crabtree came in to relieve her, and got two quick outs before also surrendering a walk to close ULL's deficit to 5-4.
A pair of errors put two on with no one on in the top of the seventh before Crabtree could sit two Louisiana batters down on strikes. A costly throwing error to second brought the tying run across and allowed room for a go-ahead two-run homer. Crabtree recorded her third strikeout of the inning in the next at bat, but the damage had been done.
Refusing to go down without fighting to reclaim their lead, senior Baillie Lott and sophomore Ashleigh Jones drilled a couple of singles to get themselves on base for one more Haley Outon at bat. Outon got a good piece, but lined out to the left fielder to end the threat and ULL took game one, 7-5.
"I thought offensively we did a good job," Holas said. "I'm clear that they weren't throwing their No. 1 pitcher. Our pitching and defense has some work to do. I think in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, when their lineup is coming up again, that it's our pitchers who need to be making the adjustments, not their hitters."
Game Two: Houston 4, San Jacinto College
After fighting to fend off the Ragin' Cajuns and coming up short, the Cougars quickly regrouped and readied themselves to take on San Jacinto.
Jones, freshman Stesha Brazil and sophomore Holli Anderson each had two-hit days as the Cougars collected 10 hits on Sunday's last game.
Sophomore Bailey Watts got the start against SJC, throwing four innings of scoreless work. Crabtree again came in to relieve the Cougar starter, nabbing two more strikeouts in her inning in the circle. Lott sat six SJC batters down in order to end the game and preserve the shutout.
