Softball Sweeps Doubleheader to Win Seventh Straight Game

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Softball team extended its winning streak to seven games with a doubleheader sweep of Northwestern State to cap the Houston Classic on Sunday at Cougar Softball Stadium.

The Cougars (10-1) used a comeback in game one to earn an 8-7 win on a walk-off sacrifice fly before keeping their hot bats for a 13-0, five-inning victory against the Demons (5-7) in the final game of the weekend tournament.

GAME ONE – HOUSTON 8, NORTHWESTERN STATE 7
Graduate Shelby Smith (5-0) picked up her second consecutive win after entering in relief, tossing 5.1 innings and striking out five. Kenzie Seely (2-3) earned the decision for Northwestern State, throwing a complete game while allowing eight runs on 11 hits and six walks.

Player Highlights

Turiya Coleman – 3-4, 2 RBI, R, SB
Bree Cantu – 2-3, RBI, BB
Lair Beautae – 1-3, 3 RBI, R, BB, SF
Shelby Smith – 5.1 IP, W, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO

Game Highlights

Beautae posted her 20^th career multi-RBI game while Coleman earned her 15^th.
The win is Head Coach Kristin Vesely's 195^th at the helm of the Cougars.
The Cougars recorded 11 hits in the game, their fourth of the season with 10-or-more.

Key Innings
3^rd | After Northwestern State took a three-run lead in the second inning, Houston rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, freshman Mikalah Nitta drove home a run with a groundout, followed by Beautae singling up the middle to plate another two, evening the score at 5-5.

6^th | Stuck in a stalemate, the Demons regained the lead with a two-run homer off the bat of Laney Roos.

Houston responded in the home half to again tie the game. Graduate Bree Cantu singled with runners on the corners to shrink the gap to one and Kennedy Thomas scored on a Coleman base-knock to even the score.

7^th | After Smith sat the Demons down in order in the top of the inning, Houston sealed the win in their offensive half. Freshman Jordee Wilkins drew a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from redshirt junior Clare Ceynowa and took third as graduate Paige Hulsey reached on a bunt single. Beautae ended the game with a fly-ball to left, driving home Wilkins with a sac-fly to earn a 8-7 victory.

GAME TWO – HOUSTON 13, NORTHWESTERN STATE 0
Redshirt sophomore Paris Lehman (3-0) earned her first collegiate solo shutout with a one-hitter in the second game of the day. Maggie Darr (2-2) picked up the decision for Northwestern State with 3.0 innings in the circle.

Player Highlights

Bree Cantu: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R, BB
Turiya Coleman: 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Jazmyn Rollin: 3-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Paris Lehman: 5.0 IP, W, CG, SHO, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO

Game Highlights

Junior Turiya Coleman, graduate Kennedy Thomas and junior Lair Beautae have reached in all 11 games so far this season. Each also have reached-base streaks dating back to last season at 15 games, 13 games and 12 games, respectively.
The Cougars' 94 runs so far this season tied the program record for most through 11 games, originally set in 2014.
Redshirt sophomore Paris Lehman tossed Houston's second one-hitter of the weekend.
The Cougars tallied 17 hits in a game for the first time since also posting 17 against Sam Houston on April 30, 2019.
Houston's seven game win streak is the team's longest since 11 consecutive wins from Feb. 16, 2020 through Feb. 29, 2020.
The Cougars' 13 run win is its largest since another 13-run victory over Dayton on Feb. 13, 2022.
Houston's seven hits in the fourth inning is the team's most in an inning since posting seven against Tulsa on March 26, 2022.
Cantu recorded her 20^th RBI of the season in the game.

KEY INNINGS
1^st | Houston kept its hot bats into game two. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Cantu doubled down the left-field line to plate both Kennedy Thomas and Beautae. Sophomore Mandy Esman drove home a run with a sac-fly later in the inning while Coleman scored on a double from graduate Jazmyn Rolling to put Houston up 4-0.

4^th | After scoring one in the second and two in the third, Houston plated another six runs in the fourth inning to seal the run-rule win. Coleman laced a two-run triple to right to start the inning and later scored on a single from senior Zaquai Dumas. Two batters later, the bases were loaded for Hulsey who hit Houston's 10^th sacrifice fly of the season to put Houston up 11-0. After Beautae walked to reload the bases, back-to-back singles from Kennedy Thomas and Cantu another pair of runs home, giving the Cougars a 13-0 win.

UP NEXT
Houston heads to Baton Rouge, La., for five games as part of the Tiger Classic. The Cougars begin the weekend against Austin Peay and host LSU on Friday before battling Boise State and LSU again on Saturday. Houston wraps up play on Sunday with a rematch against Austin Peay.

BUY TICKETS
Tickets for the 2024 softball season are available now. This year's home slate features 30 games, including five Big 12 Conference series. Season tickets cost $120, or just $4 per game, and include all neutral site games at Cougar Softball Stadium. Click here to ensure you don't miss any of the action during the Cougars' inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference!

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Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Softball by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective, giving to Houston Rise, and by joining the Diamond Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Softball for needs beyond its operating budget.

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