University of Houston
1-0
Texas Tech
1-1
Houston Splits Games on Opening Day
2/9/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Season Stats 
| Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The University of Houston Softball team went 1-1 on opening day, downing Texas Tech, 4-1, before falling to No. 6/9 Texas A&M in a 5-4 heartbreaker on Friday at Aggie Softball Complex as part of the Aggie Classic.
Senior shortstop Mariah Garcia paced the Cougars with a 3-for-5 collective showing between the two games, hitting a solo home run against the Aggies.
Junior pitcher Savannah Heebner improved to 1-0 on the season with a complete-game effort against the Red Raiders. Heebner scattered six hits and surrendered just one run while walking three and striking out four.
Sophomore pitcher Trystan Melancon took the loss against the Aggies. Melancon surrendered five runs (two earned) on nine hits with one walk and one strikeout.
HOUSTON 4, TEXAS TECH 1
KEY INNINGS
2nd | Houston struck first in the top of the second. Heebner became the first base runner of the contest after drawing a two-walk. Sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen followed with a single in the infield before Garcia plated Heebner with a base hit to left field.
4th | In the fourth, a pair of Texas Tech miscues in the trenches allowed the Cougars to tack on another run. Later in the frame after a two-out walk to Garcia, singles from Brooke Vannoy, Lindsey Stewart (RBI) and Maria Garcia (RBI) allowed Houston to take a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom frame, Texas Tech pushed one run across for the 4-1 final.
HOUSTON NOTES
Top Offensive Players:
Mariah Garcia | 1-2, RBI, R
Arielle James | 1-3, 2B
Lindsey Stewart | 1-4, RBI
Maya Thomas | 1-4, RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Savannah Heebner (W, 1-0) | 7.0 IP, CG, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
NO. 6/9 TEXAS A&M 5, HOUSTON 4
KEY INNINGS
2nd | After senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton led off the second with a hit by pitch, Queen singled to left field to put runners at the corners. On the next play, Garcia singled to the pitched and then a pair of Aggie throwing errors allowed Crumpton and Queen to come home for a 2-0 advantage.
3rd | In the third, Stewart legged out a triple to lead off the inning, before scoring on an RBI groundout from James on the very next pitch.
4th | Garcia made it a 4-0 ballgame with a solo home run to left field in the fourth.
5th-7th | The Aggies scored one run in the fifth, three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to claim the 5-4 final.
HOUSTON NOTES
Top Offensive Players:
Mariah Garcia | 2-3, HR, RBI, R
Lindsey Stewart | 2-4, 3B
Kaylin Crumpton | 0-0, 2 BB, HBP
Pitching Breakdown:
Trystan Melancon (L, 0-1) | 6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
ON DECK
Houston will continue its participation at the Aggie Classic with two games on Saturday. The Cougars will face Boston College at 10 a.m. and Texas Tech at 5:15 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: Heebner, Savannah (1-0)
L: Scott, Kassidy (1-1)
Batting:
2B: James, Arielle 1
RBI: Stewart-Vaughn, Lindsey 1 ; Thomas, Maya 1 ; Garcia, Mariah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: James, Arielle 1 ; Heebner, Savannah 2 ; Garcia, Mariah 1
CS: Crumpton, Kaylin 1 ; Williams, Tierrah 1
Batting:
RBI: Russell, Breanna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hartwell, Jessica 1
SB: Workman, Kiana 1
CS: Hartwell, Jessica 1
