Vesely Wins 200th Career Game as Softball Routs Texas A&M-Commerce
3/2/2024 3:52:00 PM | Softball
Cougars score 12 in the fourth inning to clinch a 22-4 victory in five frames
Graduate Shelby Smith (7-2) tossed a complete-game for Houston (14-5) in the circle, allowing two earned runs on six hits in five innings. Maddie Muller (2-6) received the loss for A&M-Commerce (5-15) with seven runs, four earned, in two innings in the circle.
Player Highlights
- Kennedy Thomas: 3-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
- Turiya Coleman: 1-1, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
- Shelby Smith: 4-4, 2 R, 6 RBI, 3 2B
- Mandy Esman: 2-3, R, 4 RBI, HR, SF
Game Highlights
- Houston's 22 runs are tied for the second most in single game history, matching its 22 against UConn on April 9, 2017. The program record is 25 runs, set against Texas Southern on April 23, 2003.
- Smith posted her 15th career multi-RBI game.
- Smith set a new program record with three doubles in the game.
- The 18-run margin of victory is Houston's largest since a 22-run win against UConn on April 9, 2017.
- The Cougars posted 10 hits in the fourth inning, the first frame with eight-or-more hits since April 30, 2019 against Sam Houston.
- Houston drew 10 walks in the game.
- Ten different Cougars drove in runs with four posting multi-RBI games.
- Ten different Cougars recorded hits with three tallying multi-hit games.
- Smith's four hits are the most for a Cougar since Turiya Coleman's four against ECU on April 8, 2023.
- Ja'Naiya Thomas has three home runs in five at-bats this season.
- Seventeen different players made appearances for Houston during the game.
- Houston has scored 150 runs this season.
Key Innings
1st | A hit by pitch and four walks forced two runs across to get Houston on the board early. Smith added to the lead further with a two-RBI double to right-center that scored freshman Mikalah Nitta and graduate Bree Cantu. Sophomore Mandy Esman capped the Cougars' five-run first with a sacrifice fly that allowed Coleman to cross.
The Lions answered quickly in the bottom of the inning. A walk, error and single loaded the bases and A&M-Commerce was able to bring all three runners home, cutting its deficit to 5-3.
2nd | Houston added another four runs in the second. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases and Coleman drew a third walk to force home junior Lair Beautae. Immediately following, Smith continued swinging a hot bat with her second double of the day, clearing the bases to push Houston's advantage to 9-4.
The Lions used a solo homer in the home half to cut Houston's lead back down to four.
4th | After scoring another run in the top of the third, Houston's offense could not be stopped in the fourth. Coleman singled to lead off the inning and scored on Smith's program-record third double of the game. Esman drove Smith home with a two-run homer to center field and Ja'Naiya Thomas made it back-to-back home runs for the Cougars with a solo shot to right field, pushing the score to 14-4.
Kennedy Thomas singled two batters later and scored as senior Jazmyn Rollin doubled down the left-field line. Cantu walked to put runners on first and second, both of whom scored as senior Zaquai Dumas doubled to right field, extending the Cougars' edge to 17-4. Ceynowa singled immediately after to allow Dumas to reach third and then score on a wild pitch.
Ceynowa scored on an Esman ground out and Katy Repa forced a throwing error that allowed Smith to score. Repa would later score herself on a Kennedy Thomas single to center, capping a 12 run, 10 hit inning for the Cougars that increased their lead to 22-4.
UP NEXT
Houston closes the series against Texas A&M-Commerce at noon, Sunday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Smith, Shelby (7-2)
L: Muller, Maddie (2-6)

Batting:
2B: Rollin, Jazmyn 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1 ; Smith, Shelby 3
HR: Esman, Mandy 1 ; Thomas, Ja'Naiya 1
RBI: Thomas, Kennedy 2 ; Rollin, Jazmyn 1 ; Cantu, Bree 1 ; Nitta, Mikalah 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1 ; Coleman, Turiya 2 ; Ceynowa, Clare 1 ; Smith, Shelby 6 ; Esman, Mandy 4 ; Thomas, Ja'Naiya 1
SF: Esman, Mandy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Beautae, Lair 2 ; Aguilar, Bethany 1 ; Thomas, Kennedy 3 ; Rollin, Jazmyn 3 ; Cantu, Bree 2 ; Nitta, Mikalah 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1 ; Coleman, Turiya 3 ; Ceynowa, Clare 1 ; Smith, Shelby 2 ; Esman, Mandy 1 ; Thomas, Ja'Naiya 1 ; Repa, Katy 1
SB: Thomas, Kennedy 1 ; Rollin, Jazmyn 1 ; Coleman, Turiya 1
HBP: Beautae, Lair 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1

Batting:
HR: Sefe, Diamond 1
RBI: Sefe, Diamond 1 ; Hilton, Brooke 1 ; Cosek, KK 1 ; Powell, Lencia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sefe, Diamond 2 ; Pitts, Tehya 1 ; Hodge, Shelby 1