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University of Houston
4-2
No. 15/18 Ole Miss
4-2
Houston Blanks No. 15/18 Ole Miss, 6-0
2/16/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- The University of Houston Softball team shutout No. 15/18 Ole Miss, 6-0, on Friday afternoon at Nancy Almaraz Stadium as part of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
With the win, the Cougars improve to 4-2 on the season, while the Rebels fall to 4-2.
In the circle, sophomore Trystan Melancon improved to 2-1 on the season. The native of Tomball, Texas, limited Ole Miss to five hits across six innings. Junior Savannah Heebner pitched a scoreless seventh, recording two strikeouts to seal the shutout.
Redshirt junior Sarah Barker highlighted the offense by going a perfect-4-for-4 with a double and walk. The four hits are a career high.
Freshman first baseman Tierrah Williams also turned in a career day with three hits in a 3-for-4 showing, while senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton (2-for-3), junior right fielder Maya Thomas (2-for-4) and sophomore second baseman Arielle James (2-for-5) each finished two hits, respectively.
KEY INNINGS
1st | The Cougars jumped on Ole Miss starter Brittany Finney (0-2) early, plating a pair of runs in the opening frame. After a groundout to open the game, Barker doubled down the right-field line before a hit by pitch to Crumpton and walk to sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen loaded the bases with two outs. Thomas then plated Barker with a single down the left-field line before Williams mirrored her with a single to right field to deliver Crumpton.
3rd | In top of the third, Queen led off with a double down the left-field line. One batter later, she moved up to third on an infield groundout before scoring on a passed ball during the next at bat to make it 3-0.
7th| Houston doubled its lead in the top of the seventh, adding three insurance runs for good measure. With one out, singles off the bats of Thomas (up the middle) and Williams (to right center) put runners at the corners. Junior catcher Brooke Vannoy plated Thomas on a fielder's choice. She and freshman Calela Kincade, who pinch ran for Williams, then both advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore center fielder Lindsey Stewart. James plated Thomas with an infield single before a walk to Barker and another hit by pitch to Crumpton delivered Kincade for the 6-0 final.
HOUSTON NOTES
Top Offensive Players:
Sarah Barker | 4-4, 2B, BB, R
Tierrah Williams | 3-4, RBI
Kaylin Crumpton | 2-3, 2 HBP, RBI, R
Maya Thomas | 2-4, RBI, R
Arielle James | 2-5, RBI
Sarah Queen | 1-3, 2B, BB, R
Brooke Vannoy | 1-4, RBI, R
Pitching Breakdown:
Trystan Melancon (W, 2-1) | 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Savannah Heebner | 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
ON DECK
Houston will close its participation in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge with two games on Saturday. The Cougars will face Rutgers at 2 p.m. before seeing Texas at 5 p.m.
COUGAR SOFTBALL STADIUM UPGRADES
Thanks to a record year for the Diamond Club, Houston Softball announced the addition of an LED, Daktronics video board (completed) and indoor practice facility as major upgrades to Cougar Softball Stadium.
According to Daktronics, the new outfield video board will be the fifth largest at an on-campus softball stadium in the country and the largest in the state of Texas. The board, which will sit just beyond the left-field wall, will stand 29-feet-3.1-inches tall and measure 24-feet-4.0-inches wide with 576 square feet of space (24-feet by 24-feet) for live video, instant replays, statistics and scoring information, graphics and animations, and sponsor messages. The display features a 13HD pixel layout for crisp, clear imagery for a great view from every seat at the stadium.
The indoor facility, which will replace the current batting cage down the right-field line, will measure 70-feet by 80-feet. The 5,600-square-foot space will feature five batting cages, measuring 60-feet long by 15-feet wide each, with retractable nets for the space to be used in a variety of ways. The facility will have a synthetic turf floor and will be temperature controlled.
In total, the two capital projects represent $1.2 million in upgrades.
SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is once again proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2017-18 season. For just $80, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Volleyball, Soccer, Women's Basketball and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial saving as single-game tickets start at $5 for all four sports. To purchase a Shasta Pass, call 713-GO-COOGS or CLICK HERE.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Softball on Twitter and Instagram at UHCougarSB, and "Like" UHCougarSB on Facebook.
JOIN DIAMOND CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Softball program by joining the Diamond Club. To find out more information about the Diamond Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Pride at (713) 743-GoUH. For more information, CLICK HERE.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Melancon, Trystan (2-1)
L: Brittany Finney (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Barker, Sarah 1 ; Queen, Sarah 1
RBI: James, Arielle 1 ; Crumpton, Kaylin 1 ; Thomas, Maya 1 ; Williams, Tierrah 1 ; Vannoy, Brooke 1
SH: Stewart-Vaughn, Lindsey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Barker, Sarah 1 ; Crumpton, Kaylin 1 ; Queen, Sarah 1 ; Thomas, Maya 1 ; Kincade, Caela 1 ; Vannoy, Brooke 1
HBP: Crumpton, Kaylin 2
Batting:
2B: Abbey Latham 1
