Softball Wins Back-to-Back Run Rules
2/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Season Stats | Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- In walk-off fashion, Houston Softball picked up two run-rule victories during day two of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Miss.
Houston, now 3-1 on the season, put up 17 combined hits on Alabama A&M and Georgia Southern while only allowing six hits and two runs between the 11 innings played.
The Cougars return to Nusz Park for the final day of action tomorrow when they face Mississippi State in a rematch at 11 a.m. The game will be aired on SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app.
Houston 10, Georgia Southern 2
Georgia Southern was the first on the board with a two-out single up the middle.
Houston turned on the heat the following inning as sophomore De'Zha Scott slapped a leadoff single into left field. Kaylin Crumpton loaded the bases and she took a walk before senior Julana Shrum doubled down the left field line to drive in two runs.
Freshman Rachel Hill drove in another run with a single up the middle scoring Crumpton just before Courtney Klingler hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate another run for the Cougars. Freshman starting pitcher Savannah Heebner drove in another run with a single to right field to extend Houston's lead to 5-1 after three innings.
Coogs stretched their lead to 6-1 in the top of the fourth when Crumpton doubled to centerfield with two outs, driving in a run.
Georgia Southern made it 6-2 with an in-the-park home run to the right field corner by A.J. Hamilton. But the Cougars quickly responded the following inning with four runs off two hits and three GSU errors to seal the run-rule victory.
Heebner (1-0) earned the win for the Cougars as she threw 4.0 innings, allowed four hits and two earned runs. Junior Shelby Miller came in relief for an inning and gave up only one hit and struck out two.
Houston 8, Alabama A&M 0
The Cougars took a two-run lead in the bottom of the second when freshmen Brooke Vannoy and Maya Thomas hit infield singles. With two outs, the two advanced a base on a wild pitch before being plated by an Alabama A&M error.
Houston had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. That's when the bats started getting hot. Vannoy led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a groundout by Thomas. That's when freshman Breelyn Thames came in to pinch hit for Megan Noel and smacked one into left field for a double. With runners in scoring position, the Bulldogs walked Bell to make the force out. St. Pierre singled up the middle as two more runs came in.
Crumpton drove in the final two runs of the game with a double into centerfield to end the game, 8-0.
Freshman RHP Presley Bell threw her first complete shutout of her collegiate career. She allowed only one hit, walked one and struck out a batter.
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