Cougars Complete Marathon Comeback Victory Over Baylor in Longest Big 12 Regular Season Game

Thursday, April 2

Waco, Texas

4 PM

University of Houston

Baylor

Photo by: Baylor Athletics

Cougars Complete Marathon Comeback Victory Over Baylor in Longest Big 12 Regular Season Game

4/2/2026 11:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Houston outlasts Baylor in 15 innings; sets program record for longest game to earn first Big 12 road win of the season

WACO, Texas – With a solo slam courtesy of junior Makenna Mitchell in the 15^th inning, the University of Houston Softball team completed a 3-2 comeback victory in its Big 12 weekend series opener over Baylor at Getterman Stadium on Thursday.

The Cougars (19-21, 2-11 Big 12) flipped the script after trailing 2-0 in the third inning, engaging in a pitcher's duel after breaking the Bears' (22-13, 5-5 Big 12) no-hit bid with a two-run fifth inning to level the score.

A combined 479 pitches between three pitchers ensued nine scoreless innings before Houston broke the deadlock for its first lead of the night, fending off Baylor to close out the series opening victory in the longest regular season game in Big 12 history.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:

Gigi Solis: 12.2 IP, 185 TP
Makenna Mitchell: 2-6, HR, 2 RBI, R, 2B, BB
Mandy Esman: 2-7
Ariel Redmond: 2-7
Madox Mitchael: 1-6, 2 RBI, BB

NOTABLES

Tonight's contest marks the longest game in program history by both innings (15) and game time (4:51), beating the previous best against McNeese on Feb. 28, 2024 (12 inn., 4:13).
The game marks the longest regular season game in Big 12 Conference history.
Junior Gigi Solis set a program record 12.2 innings pitched against Baylor, besting Kenna Wilkey's 10.2 against Wichita State on April 14, 2023.
Mitchell's solo homer in the 15^th inning marked her 15^th of the season, rejoining sophomore Maddie Hartley for the team-lead this season.
Hartley and Mitchell now sit in a three-way tie of seventh place for single-season home runs in program history, joining Jennifer Klinkert with 15 (2008).
With her 11^th double of the season against Baylor, Mitchell now sits two shy of breaking into the program single season Top 10 list.
Sophomore Madox Mitchael recorded her fifth multi-RBI game of the season and eighth of her career with two on the day, both coming on her game-tying two-RBI single in the fifth inning.
Senior Mandy Esman recorded a new single-season high 25^th and 26^th hits of the season, beating her previous best of 24 last season.
Esman also recorded her eighth multi-hit game of the season with two each on the day.

KEY INNINGS
5^th | After loading the bases with two outs trailing 2-0, Mitchael supplied the game-tying hit with a single to left center, scoring freshmen RyLee Gardner and Kaitlynn Torres to level the game at 2-0.

15^th | Following nine scoreless innings on both sides, Mitchell provided the winning moment with a solo shot to deep right field, giving Houston its first lead of the night late.

UP NEXT
Houston continues with game two against Baylor at 6:30 p.m., Friday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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