University of Houston
21-12, 2-3
UCF
24-12, 5-0
Houston Falls to UCF, 7-2
3/30/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team fell 7-2 to UCF on Friday night at Cougar Softball Stadium.
With the decision, the Cougars fall to 21-12 overall and 2-3 in The American, while the Knights improve to 24-12 and 5-0, and lead 2-0 in the series.
In the circle, sophomore Trystan Melancon fell to 5-5. Melancon surrendered six runs on across two and two-thirds innings pitched before giving way to junior Presley Bell, who held the Knights to one run across the rest of the game.
Houston's Arielle James and Aspen Howie each turned in multi-hit efforts. James went 2-for-2 with a single, home run and two hit by pitches, while Howie went 2-for-3 with two singles and one run scored.
KEY INNINGS
1st | The Knights scored three runs on a pair of homers to open the game.
2nd | UCF made it 4-0 with an RBI single in the top of the second.
3rd | In the third, the Knights hit a two-run home run to take make it 6-0.
4th | Houston got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. For a fourth-straight inning, the Cougars opened the frame with a base hit, as Howie singled to left field. Sophomore first baseman Kelli Montgomery walked, and junior right fielder Maya Thomas followed with an infield single to load the bases. Freshman Tierrah Williams delivered Howie with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to make it 6-1.
5th | UCF scored one run on an RBI single in the fifth.
7th | James hit a first-pitch, leadoff home run to left center in the bottom of the seventh for the 7-2 final.
HOUSTON NOTES
Top Offensive Players:
Arielle James | 2-2, HR, 2 HBP, RBI, R
Aspen Howie | 2-3, R
Mariah Garcia | 1-3, 2B
Tierrah Williams | 0-0, SF, RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Trystan Melancon (L, 5-5) | 2.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Presley Bell | 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
ON DECK
The Cougars will look to bounce back in the series finale on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon. Following the game, Houston will hold an Easter Egg Hunt for kids aged 12 and under.
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: WHITE, Alea (18-7)
L: Melancon, Trystan (5-5)
Batting:
HR: JOHNSON, Aubrey 1 ; BREWER, Cassady 1 ; ESPARZA, Jazmine 1
RBI: JOHNSON, Aubrey 2 ; BREWER, Cassady 2 ; ESPARZA, Jazmine 2 ; KLARKOWSKI, Kyra 1
SH: BEJARANO, Hayley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: JOHNSON, Aubrey 1 ; ROTTON, Courtney 1 ; BREWER, Cassady 1 ; LANGE, Kendyl 1 ; BEJARANO, Hayley 1 ; ESPARZA, Jazmine 1 ; GREENWELL, Megan 1
SB: GREENWELL, Megan 1
HBP: ESPARZA, Jazmine 1
Batting:
2B: Garcia, Mariah 1
HR: James, Arielle 1
RBI: James, Arielle 1 ; Williams, Tierrah 1
SH: Thomas, Maya 1
SF: Williams, Tierrah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: James, Arielle 1 ; Howie, Aspen 1
SB: Vannoy, Brooke 1
HBP: James, Arielle 2
