University of Houston Athletics
Houston Hits the Road for Weekend Series at Memphis
3/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2011
| HOUSTON at MEMPHIS | |
|---|---|
| Time | 1 p.m./3 p.m. (Sat.) | 12 p.m. (Sun.) |
| Location | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Stadium | Tiger Softball Complex |
| Series Record | Houston leads 11-5 |
| Live Stats | |
| Social Media |  Facebook •  Twitter |
Houston (16-11, 0-3) will look to bounce back after a tough week, beginning Saturday at Memphis (15-5, 2-1). One week ago, a 16-5 nationally ranked Cougar team traveled to then-No. 13/12 Texas and dropped a close 4-1 contest. Houston has since dropped its next five, causing the longest losing streak since an eight-game skid in 2005.
However, the Cougars were able to break into the nation's top 25 just two weeks into the season and can do so again with a quick turnaround. For the first time in three weeks, Houston is not featured in either the ESPN.com/USA Softball or the USA Today/NFCA Coaches polls.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Voted as the C-USA Preseason favorite to win the league, Houston hit a rough patch and dropped three straight to C-USA's preseason selection UAB at Cougar Softball Stadium to finish the opening weekend of conference play tied for seventh in the standings.
Memphis enters the weekend tied for second after taking two of three from reigning conference champion East Carolina in the first weekend of league play.
Houston holds the all-time series lead, 11-5. The Cougars swept the Tigers a year ago, twice by a shutout.
HOUSTON (16-11, 0-3)
OVERALL: The Cougars enter the weekend after falling to then-No. 13/12 Texas, RV UAB and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. During the six-game skid, Houston has been on the wrong side of luck. In five of the last six losses, the Cougars held the lead at one point and none of their opponents have won by more than a three-run margin. In fact, half of the games in the streak were one-run losses.
IN THE CIRCLE: Seniors Amanda Crabtree (10-5) and Donna Bourgeois (4-6) continue to shoulder the workload in the circle. The tough week the two have faced has done little to penetrate their solid numbers. Heading into the week, Crabtree and Donna still hold ERAs ranking amongst the leagues' top 10.
Crabtree and defending C-USA Pitcher of the Year Toni Paisley are neck-and-neck in the strikeout race. After wrapping up their first conference season, Crabtree (155) trailed Paisley (158) by just three Ks. After Houston's doubleheader at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Crabtree holds a 1.33 ERA with 164 strikeouts to her credit. Her .122 opposing batting average also ranks second best among the league.
Bourgeois lost her second 1-0 game of the year in game two against UAB. In the Cougars' last time out, the senior right-hander allowed a season-high seven earned runs in the 8-6 loss to TAMU-CC, but also struck out a season-best 10 batters in the process.
AT THE PLATE: Houston displays a strong mix of power hitting and run manufacturing in its offensive toolkit. The Cougars lead the league in homeruns (22), but also hold the top spot in sacrifice bunts (33) and are only one shy of ranking first in C-USA in walks (90).
Junior left fielder Melissa Gregson powered the Cougars against UAB, going 4-for-9 in the first conference series with an RBI and two walks. She currently leads the team with 15 RBI after pelting a two-run bomb against the Islanders on Tuesday. The long ball was her fifth of the season, tying her for the fourth-most in the league.
Sophomore shortstop Brooke Lathan leads the team and its tied for second in C-USA with six homeruns, while senior right fielder Katy Beth Sherman leads the team with a .322 average. The only Cougar in the lineup with multiple triples, Sherman's three-bagger cleared the bases against TAMU-CC to bring the Cougars back from a 5-2 deficit on Tuesday.
MEMPHIS (15-5, 2-1)
OVERALL: Prior to the Tigers' midweek doubleheader against Mississippi Valley State, Memphis won three of its last five. They took two of three from ECU and defeated Mississippi Valley State, while losing to then-No. 22 Texas A&M and once to ECU.
Memphis taking two of three from the Pirates marked the first series win against ECU since the first year of Tiger softball in 2006.
Memphis has posted quality wins against then-No. 22 Ohio State and then-No. 16 Stanford early in the season, causing them to receive votes in the USA Today/for the first time in program history.
IN THE CIRCLE: Lauren Carley (2-1) pitched six innings for the win in the second game of the series against ECU, while Janelle Valle picked up her third career save. On Sunday, Valle (4-2) started and picked up the win on a complete game, one-hit shutout, the sixth of her career.
Vanelle leads the staff with a 0.73 ERA. Sophomore right-hander Carly Hummel (8-2) leads the team with 76 strikeouts. As a staff, the Tigers hold a 1.13 ERA.
AT THE PLATE: Junior first baseman Jessica Phillips drove in the game's lone run in Memphis' 1-0 victory against ECU in the series finale, her team-leading 12th RBI.
Redshirt senior shortstop Heather Mott leads the team with a .293 average, as none of the Tigers were posting a .300 or better average heading into the week. Mott, Phillips and senior infielder Maddie McKinley are the only Tigers with homeruns on the roster.
The first pitch of the Saturday doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. with the second game starting at approximately 3 p.m. The series finale is slated for Sunday at noon.
