University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Make Moves in National Polls to No. 17
2/14/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 14, 2012
HOUSTON - Thanks to a 5-0 start this past weekend in the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic, the Houston Cougars softball team has risen to No. 17 in the national rankings. Houston moved up five spots in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate and rose three spots in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
After rain delayed the start of the tournament, the Cougars came out strong with a 10-0 run rule victory over Texas A&M Corpus Christ. The first win of the season for Houston would prove significant, as it was also career victory number 400 for head coach Kyla Holas.
In the marquee matchup of the weekend, the Cougars defeated No. 11/13 Oklahoma State 3-0 in their second game of Classic. The matchup was a rematch of last year's NCAA Super Regionals in which the Cowgirls topped the Cougars 2-1 in three games.
Oklahoma State is ranked No. 15/No. 18 in this week's polls.
Diedre Outon led the way for Houston in the victory against Oklahoma State allowing just three hits in seven innings for the complete game. Outon finished the weekend with a 2-0 record and her first career save. Her performance in the tournament would also earn her the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week award for the second time in her career.
The Cougars would go on to defeat North Texas, and took down Sam Houston State twice, to complete the perfect weekend. The 5-0 start is the best for Houston since the 2002 season when they raced off to an 11-0 record.
UP NEXT
Houston is back in action this weekend as they host Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m., and McNeese State at 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday in the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational. McNeese State knocked off last week's No. 1 Arizona State in the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic over the weekend.
