Cougars Tame Tigers with Back-to-Back Shutouts

Saturday, March 25

Memphis, Tenn.

Noon

University of Houston

13-16, 1-0

Memphis

5-24, 0-1

Houston

Memphis

3/25/2023 6:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Houston sweeps the doubleheader to open conference play

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Houston softball team tallied consecutive shutouts to sweep a doubleheader against Memphis on Saturday afternoon at the Tiger Softball Complex.

Houston (14-16, 2-0 The American) earned the series win over Memphis (5-25, 0-2 The American) with the pair of victories. Brooke Lorenzo finished 4 for 4 across the two games with three runs and two RBIs, while Turiya Coleman hit a grand slam and Emma Robertson added a home run of her own.

Game One – Houston 10, Memphis 0 (5)
Graduate student Kenna Wilkey (8-7) struck out six Tigers for the win, combining with Hannah Blincoe for the Cougars' sixth shutout of the season. Mikayla Hoschak (1-6) tossed her second complete-game of the year to earn the decision for Memphis.

Player Highlights:
·       Bree Cantu: 3-3, RBI, 2B
·       Turiya Coleman: 2-3, R, 5 RBI, HR, BB
·       Emma Robertson: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR
·       Brooke Lorenzo: 2-2, 3 R, RBI, 2B, BB
·       Kenna Wilkey: 4.0 IP, W, 3 H, 0 R, 6 SO

Game Highlights:
·       Robertson and Coleman combined for Houston's fourth multi-HR game this season.
·       Lorenzo's three runs scored are the most since Aspen Howie scored three against UCF on April 24, 2022.
·       Wilkey has participated in five of Houston's six shutouts, combining for three and tossing two solos.
·       Coleman now has seven career multi-RBI games, with six coming this season. She also has 15 multi-hit games this year.
·       Matthews is on a six-game hitting streak.
·       Robertson tallied her first career multi-hit game, while Cantu has 10 career multi-hit games.

Key Innings
3^rd | Paige Hulsey gave Houston the lead with a sacrifice fly that drove home Brooke Lorenzo. Cantu made the score 2-0 later in the inning, hitting a double that drove home Ja'Naiya Thomas.

5^th | Houston exploded for six runs in the fifth inning, the second time this season scoring six in a frame. After loading the bases, back-to-back singles from Amanda Carden and Lorenzo plated a pair and left the bases loaded for Coleman, who hit her first grand slam of her career, and Houston's first since Britaney Shaw's against Boise State on March 10, 2022, over the center field fence to put the Cougars up, 10-0.

Blincoe entered in relief in the bottom of the inning, sealing the shutout win for Houston.

Game Two – Houston 3, Memphis 0
Wilkey (9-7) also earned the start in the second game of the day, tossing a complete-game shutout while striking out seven to earn the victory. Rylee Dugar (1-8) went the distance for Memphis, earning its decision in the contest.

Player Highlights
·       Brooke Lorenzo: 2-2, RBI
·       Bree Cantu: 2-4, R, RBI
·       Kenna Wilkey: 7.0 IP, W, CG, SHO, 4 H, 0 R, 7 SOs

Game Highlights
·       Seven different hitters combined for Houston's 12 hits in the win, with five hitters posting multi-hit games.
·       Matthews extended her hitting streak to seven games.
·       Houston moved to 42-12 all-time against Memphis and improved to 14-3 against the Tigers under Head Coach Kristin Vesely.
·       Wilkey now has 201 strikeouts with Houston, surpassing the 200 milestone. She's up to 475 in her career and 89 on the season.

Key Innings
5^th | With the game still scoreless, Memphis' Meagan Chism singled, eventually reaching third with two outs. Wilkey forced a ground out, ending the inning and stranding Chism to keep the game tied.

6^th | Houston broke the stalemate with a pair of runs in the sixth. After Cantu reached on an error, back-to-back singles loaded the bases for Amanda Carden, who sent the Cougars' third straight single through the right side to drive home Cantu. Lorenzo kept the rally going, singling in the next at bat, plating Matthews, to push Houston's lead to 2-0.

7^th | Hulsey reached on a bunt and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error, giving Houston a runner in scoring position with only one out. Cantu pushed the lead to 3-0, singling home Hulsey to solidfy Houston's 3-0 win.

UP NEXT
Houston closes its conference-opening series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon. Live stats are available HERE.

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