Nitta, Offense Shine as Houston Splits Doubleheader

PROVO, Utah – The University of Houston Softball team split the doubleheader to close the series against BYU at Gail Miller Field on Friday. Houston clinched the 9-3 win in the opener, but lost an offensive slugfest, 17-15, in nine innings in game two.

Houston (21-14, 3-9 Big 12) scored 24 runs across the pair of games powered by 25 hits, including six RBIs on five hits from freshman Mikalah Nitta. Another freshman, Bethany Aguilar, also showcased her talents in the second game of the day, going 4-6 with three RBIs in her first career start.

GAME ONE – HOUSTON 9, BYU 6
Graduate Shelby Smith (10-4) spun a complete-game victory for Houston (21-13, 3-8 Big 12) in the circle, her fourth time this season going the distance in a game. BYU's Chloe Temples (5-3) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings. BYU moved to 19-13 on the season with a 3-8 record in Big 12 play.

Player Highlights

Mikalah Nitta: 3-4, R, 3 RBI
Shelby Smith: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, SF; 7.0 IP, W, CG, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB
Jazmyn Rollin: 1-2, 2 R, 2B, BB

Game Highlights

Nitta extended her hitting streak to a season-long four games.
Graduate Jazmyn Rollin has reached base in five straight games.
Nitta surpassed 20 hits on the season with three in the game. It was also her sixth multi-hit game.
Nitta's three RBIs clinched her third multi-RBI game of the season.
Smith recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the season and 34^th of her career.
Houston tied its single-season program record with its 21^st sacrifice fly of the year.
Graduate Bree Cantu recorded her 28^th walk of the season, just four away from entering Houston's single-season top 10 list.
Graduate Kennedy Thomas earned her 40^th hit of the season.

Key Innings
1^st | The teams traded runs to open up the game. Houston earned an early lead as Nitta singled with two runners on to plate Cantu. BYU answered in the bottom of the inning as Huntyr Ava singled to drive home a runner on second, evening the score at 1-1.

3^rd | Houston reclaimed the lead in the third. Rollin posted a lead-off double to left-center then scored as Nitta singled down the left-field line. Smith helped her own cause in the circle, doubling home junior Lair Beautae with a fly ball to center that bounced off the top of the wall. Lorenzo earned an RBI by driving home Kennedy Thomas and Smith capped the scoring by crossing the plate on a wild pitch, finishing a four-run inning for Houston.

4^th | Houston added another four runs in the fourth. Cantu walked and moved to third as Rollin capitalized on an error to reach and advance to second. Cantu came around to score as Nitta notched her third single of the game and Beautae pushed home Rollin to give Houston a 7-1 edge. Kennedy Thomas singled to left to drive home Nitta and Smith used a sacrifice fly to plate Beautae, extending Houston's lead to eight runs.

5^th | BYU cut its deficit with five runs in the fifth. With runners on the corners, the first run of the inning scored on a sacrifice fly and back-to-back singles later in the inning scored the second. Lily Owens then completed the inning, making the score 9-6 with a three-run home run to left field.

7^th | Smith finished the complete game in the circle, shutting the door on any comeback attempt with a trio of fly outs to seal a win for Houston, 9-6.

GAME TWO – BYU 17, Houston 15 (9 innings)
A trio of pitchers participated for Houston (21-14, 3-9 Big 12), but in her second appearance of the day, Smith (10-5) earned the loss with 4.2 innings pitched. BYU's (20-13, 4-9 Big 12) Ailiana Agbayani earned the win with 2.2 innings pitched to close the game.

Player Highlights

Bethany Aguilar: 4-6, R, 3 RBI
Turiya Coleman: 2-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, HBP
Brooke Lorenzo: 2-5, R, RBI, BB
Mikalah Nitta: 2-6, R, 3 RBI, 2B
Jazmyn Rollin: 1-6, R, 3 RBI, HR

Game Highlights

Aguilar earned her first career start and first career RBI in the game.
With eight runs in the first, Houston scored five-or-more runs in an inning for the 13^th time this season.
With 19 games remaining on its regular-season schedule and 261 runs scored, Houston has tied or surpassed its run production from the 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004 and 2001 seasons.
Kennedy Thomas scored her 40^th run of the season.
Houston scored nine-or-more run in back-to-back games for the fifth time this season.
Junior Turiya Coleman, Rollin, Nitta and Aguilar all recorded multi-RBI games.
Rollin hit her 47^th career home run.
At three hours, 55 minutes, the game is Houston's second longest in 2024.

Key Innings
1^st | Both teams capitalized on opportunities in the first inning. Coleman led off the top of the first for Houston and was hit by a pitch to reach first. A single from Cantu put runners on first and second while Rollin reached on an error to load the bases. Nitta scored the first runs for Houston as she plated a pair on a fielder's choice. Later in the frame, back-to-back singles from Aguilar and junior Brooke Lorenzo drove home Kennedy Thomas and Smith, respectively, to put Houston up by four.

Following Lorenzo's base-knock, graduate Paige Hulsey drew a walk to load the bases and Coleman used a single in her second appearance of the first to drive home Lorenzo and Aguilar. Coleman and Hulsey would both later score on a passed ball and error, capping an eight-run first for Houston.

BYU's bats also came alive in the first. A pair of walks to open the inning set the stage for a three-run homer off the bat of Violet Zavodnik to cut the deficit to five. Another run would cross on a single later in the inning to set the score at 8-4 in favor of Houston after one inning.

4^th | After Houston scored a run in the second and BYU plated a run in the third, BYU cut Houston's advantage to three with a solo home run off the bat of Hailey Morrow. A single, fielder's choice and walk put runners on first and second three batters after the homer. Ava's single scored one with the second runner scoring on a double from Owens. A third straight hit evened the score, followed by Keila Kamoku's three-run home run which gave BYU a 12-9 lead.

5^th | Houston answered BYU's surge with a pair of runs in the fifth. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Rollin drove home Hulsey for her first RBI of the game. Nitta kept swinging a hot bat, using a double to plate Coleman and get back within one.

7^th | Facing its final chance to at least even the score, Houston delivered. Cantu singled with one out to put the go-ahead run in the batter's box and Jazmyn Rollin hit her seventh home run of the season to put Houston ahead, 13-12.

BYU wouldn't go quietly, tying the game with a solo home run from Ailana Agbayani to force extra innings.

9^th | After a quiet eighth, Houston started the scoring again in the ninth. With two outs, Nitta singled and Kennedy Thomas was hit by a pitch to put two on. Smith singled home Nitta and Kennedy Thomas scored on a Aguilar single to put Houston back in front, 15-13.

BYU clinched a walk-off win in the home half of the inning. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases and Ava capitalized, hitting a walk-off grand slam to seal a 17-15 win.

UP NEXT
Houston is back at home on Tuesday, April 2, for a midweek tilt against Houston Christian. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

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