University of Houston
Sam Houston State
Houston Sweeps Doubleheader at Sam Houston State
3/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Season Stats 
| Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- The University of Houston Softball team swept a doubleheader at Sam Houston State, winning 6-0 and 13-11 in 10 innings on Tuesday at Bearkat Softball Complex.
With the sweep, the Cougars improve to 19-9 overall, while the Bearkats fall to 11-18.
In the circle, junior Savannah Heebner picked up a pair of wins to improve to 12-2. The native of Sedalia, Colo., tossed a one-hitter in the first game, retiring the final 19 batters she face, before tossing three innings of relief in the nightcap. The shutout was her fifth of the season and 14th overall of her career.
Against the Bearkats, sophomore second baseman Arielle James led the offense, going 4-for-7 between the two games. In the first game, James was one of six Cougars to record a base hit. She followed with a 3-for-4 effort with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in the second game. Senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton also collected three hits, finishing 3-for-5 with a double, career-high four RBI and one run scored.
HOUSTON 6, SAM HOUSTON STATE 0
KEY INNINGS
3rd | Houston scored one run in the top of the third. With one out, senior shortstop Maria Garcia drew a walk and advanced to second on a groundout before coming around on a single to center field from junior right fielder Maya Thomas.
5th | The Cougars added another run in the fifth. Freshman first baseman Tierrah Williams doubled down the right-field line with one out and, following a walk, she was pinch ran for by senior De'Zha Scott. In the next at bat, James delivered Scott with a single up the middle.
6th | Freshman designated player Aspen Howie doubled down the left-field line to open the sixth and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a single from redshirt junior Sarah Barker to make it 3-0.
7th | Barker tacked on three more runs for the Cougars with a three-RBI triple to center field in the seventh for the 6-0 final.
HOUSTON NOTES
Top Offensive Players:
Sarah Barker | 2-2, 3B, 4 RBI
Aspen Howie | 1-2, 2B, 2 R
Tierrah Williams | 1-3, 2B
Arielle James | 1-3, RBI
Maya Thomas | 1-3, RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Savannah Heebner (W, 11-2) | 7.0 IP, CG, SHO, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
HOUSTON SAM HOUSTON STATE
KEY INNINGS
1st | SHSU took an early lead via a three-run home run in the bottom of the first.
3rd | Houston scored two runs in the top of the third, but the Bearkats took advantage of two errors to plate five unearned runs in the bottom frame to take an 8-2 lead.
4th | RBI singles up the middle from both James (two RBI) and Crumpton in the fourth made it 8-5.
5th | In the fifth, junior catcher Brooke Vannoy and Thomas each recorded RBI singles to pull Houston back within one run before Crumpton drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 8-8.
7th | Both Houston and the Bearkats scored two runs in the seventh.
10th | In the 10th, Barker put the Cougars back on top with a double to left field. One batter later, Williams singled up the middle to tack on another run before a throwing error made it 13-10. SHSU scored one run in the bottom frame for the 13-11 final.
HOUSTON NOTES
Top Offensive Players:
Arielle James | 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Kaylin Crumpton | 3-5, 2B, 4 RBI, R
Sarah Barker | 2-5, 2B, BB, RBI, R
Sarah Queen | 2-5, 2B, BB, R
Pitching Breakdown:
Trystan Melancon | 2.2 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
Presley Bell | 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Savannah Heebner (W, 12-2) | 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
ON DECK
The Cougars open American Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at ECU across Match 23-25.
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.
