Cougars Secure Late Comeback Victory Over Pitt

Thursday, February 12

Houston, Texas

6 p.m.

University of Houston

5-0

Pittsburgh

3-3

Pittsburgh

Houston

Photo by: ©Juan DeLeon Creative

2/12/2026 11:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Houston produces 4-run sixth inning; earn 5-0 start in back-to-back seasons

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Softball team remains undefeated after securing a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over Pitt to open the Houston Invitational at Cougar Softball Stadium on Thursday.

The Cougars (5-0) trailed or leveled Pitt (3-3) through five innings before producing a 4-run sixth inning to take the lead and close out the evening. Houston has now begun the season 5-0 in back-to-back seasons and only the third time since 2012.

Player Highlights

Ariel Redmond: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
Maddie Hartley: 1-3, HR, RBI, R
Ronnie Esparza: 1-2, RBI, R

Game Highlights

Sophomore Ariel Redmond tallied her second home run of the season in the bottom of the third, giving Houston its first run of the game.
Sophomore Maddie Hartley followed up in the fourth with a solo shot to center field, cracking her third homer of the season to level the score at 2-2.
Freshman RyLee Gardner made her first collegiate at bat, pinch hitting at the nine slot to lead off in the bottom of the fifth before earning her first career hit in the sixth.
Freshman Ronnie Esparza came up big in the sixth with a base hit past first base to bring junior Jordee Wilkins home and square the game at 3-3.
Sophomore Isabel Cintron made the play of the night with a single to center field before a fielding error helped bring Esparza and freshman Leilani Garcia home to give Houston its first lead of the night at 5-3.
Redmond's groundout in the sixth capped off the scoring for the Cougars, bringing Cintron home to add insurance at 6-3 Houston.

Key Innings
3^rd | Trailing 2-0 with one out in the bottom of the third, Redmond put Houston on the board with a solo home run, marking her second of the year and fifth in her career.

4^th | Following a leadoff grounder, Hartley took matters into her own hands as she blasted a solo shot to deep center field to tie the game at 2-2.

6^th | The bottom of the sixth opened with a Griffin four-pitch walk. Wilkins entered the game as a pinch runner for Griffin, advancing to third via wild pitch and a stolen base on consecutive pitches. Esparza provided the tying slap, singling just past first base to bring Wilkins home and level the score at 3-3. Following a fielder's choice and fielding error to put Esparza at third and Garcia at second, sophomore Cintron delivered the winning hit, singling to center and through the center fielder 's legs to score both runs and leave her at third, giving Houston its first lead of the night at 5-3. A Redmond grounder to second brought Cintron home, adding to Houston's lead at 6-3.

UP NEXT
The Cougars continue at the Houston Invitational when they host a doubleheader against Lafayette (3:30 p.m.) and Penn State (6 p.m.) on Friday. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

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