Houston Clinches Series Against ECU with Saturday's Doubleheader Sweep

Saturday, April 30

Greenville, N.C.

2:00 PM

University of Houston

35-15, 15-5

East Carolina

34-18, 14-9

Houston

East Carolina

Houston Clinches Series Against ECU with Saturday's Doubleheader Sweep

4/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

April 30, 2011

Game One Boxscore | Game Two Boxscore
Game One Boxscore (PDF) | Game Two Boxscore (PDF)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	F	H	E
HOUSTON	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	1
EAST CAROLINA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

Pitching	IP	ER	K/BB	H
Donna Bourgeois (W, 14-6)	7.0	0	11/3	1

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Batting	H	AB	R	RBI	BB
Katy Beth Sherman	1	3	1	0	0
Haley Outon	1	3	0	0	1
Brooke Lathan	1	3	0	0	0

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	F	H	E
HOUSTON	0	0	0	1	5	0	2	8	12	1
EAST CAROLINA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

Pitching	IP	ER	K/BB	H
Diedre Outon (W, 4-2)	7.0	0	5/0	1

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Batting	H	AB	R	RBI	BB
Reina Gaber	3	4	1	3	0
Haley Outon	2	3	0	3	1
Jennifer Klinkert	2	3	2	1	1

HOUSTON - The University of Houston softball team used a pair of one-hit performances from its starting pitchers to take both games of the doubleheader and clinch the series against East Carolina on Saturday, 1-0 and 8-0.

Playing at the Pirates brand new ECU Softball Stadium for the first time, Houston (35-15, 15-5) shutout the Pirates (34-18, 14-8) in back-to-back Conference USA games for the first time this season.

In the series opener, Houston defeated two-time C-USA Pitcher of the Year Toni Paisley when the Cougars put up three hits to ECU's one. Senior Katy Beth Sherman sped home on a wild pitch to score the only run of the game.

"In the first game, it took us a while to get going," head coach Kyla Holas said. "We let the strike zone effect us a little bit, but we started focusing on the controllables. I was really pleased with our toughness and how we found a way to stay in it and win."

Taking the circle for the Cougars, senior Donna Bourgeois (14-6) allowed an infield hit in the first inning and would not allow another as she tossed her second one-hitter of the season. Bourgeois busted out an 11-strikeout effort, her highest as a Cougar, while collecting her eighth shutout of the year.

In the nightcap, freshman Diedre Outon (4-2) tossed her first career one-hitter to keep the Pirates quiet in the second game. A leadoff single and a second-inning error was all that the rookie pitcher would allow to reach base in game two.

"She is such a huge part of our success," Holas said. "We really missed her during that middle stretch of the season while she was out (with injury). You can't make a season with just two pitchers, in my opinion. Everyday she is getting better and everyday out team is learning to play behind her."

Sophomore designated player Reina Gaber and freshman catcher Haley Outon drove in three runs apiece to pace the Cougars in game two. Gaber, Outon and redshirt junior second baseman Jennifer Klinkert each posted multi-hit performances in the nightcap.

GAME ONE: Houston 1, East Carolina 0
Sophomore shortstop Brooke Lathan broke up ECU starter Toni Paisley's (26-9) no-hit bid in the top of the fifth with a sharp single to center. Haley Outon tagged a base hit in the very next at bat, and Sherman's single, that resulted in her scoring the winning run, accounted for all three Cougar hits.

Paisley tossed a quick top of the first before Bourgeois swapped spots with her in the circle. After notching the first two outs in order, a walk and an infield single put two on early. Bourgeois shook it off and struck out right fielder Jordan Lewis to end the threat.

Through two innings, both pitchers had four strikeouts to their credit and no runs on the board.

Bourgeois added two more to her total in the following inning, putting her at six strikeouts while sending her team to the plate to face Paisley again in the top of the fourth.

Sophomore third baseman Holly Anderson drew a one-out walk in the inning for the Cougars' first base runner of the game. She swiped second to move into scoring position, but Gaber flew out to left to turn it back over to ECU.

Heading into the top of the fifth, Bourgeois had eight strikeouts to Paisley's seven, but Paisley had yet to surrender a hit. Houston's hitters changed that in their next trip to the plate. After Klinkert laid down a textbook bunt in an attempt to break up the no-no, Lathan came to the plate.

Although Klinkert missed the base hit by a step, Lathan followed her up with a solid line drive to center for the Cougars' first hit of the game. Outon made it two when she dropped a single into left to put a pair of runners on with one out. Paisley finished up the inning with a strikeout and a groundout, however, to keep the Cougars off the board.

Meanwhile, Bourgeois carried her one-hitter into the bottom half of the inning.

Center fielder Jasmine Robbins walked to put the first leadoff batter for either team on for the first time of the day. A fielder's choice combined with a throwing error put third baseman Cicely Lopez on second and moved Robbins to third with nobody out. Pitching on a mission, Bourgeois and her defense went into lockdown mode. Lathan fielded the next ground ball for the first out, and Anderson worked with quick precision to throw out the next two Pirates to keep the home team from scoring.

Houston swung the momentum in its favor for the final time in the top of the sixth. Sherman responded to the Pirates' leadoff batter reaching in the previous inning by driving a single through the left side to kick off the sixth. Anderson executed her team-leading 16th sacrifice bunt to move her around before junior left fielder Melissa Gregson gave Sherman another base with her ground out to the right side.

Increasing the dramatic effect, Gaber walked to put runners on the corners with two outs. Paisley, who had kept her team in it all day, then threw a wild pitch that got away from catcher Kai Clark. The loose ball gave speedy Sherman all the time she needed to dart home and slide under the tag, giving Houston the 1-0 lead with an inning and a half to play.

Paisley worked through a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to send her offense to the plate for their final at bat.

Bourgeois was ready. She sat the Pirates in order in the bottom of the seventh, including two more strikeouts to seal the 1-0 victory.

GAME TWO: Houston 8, East Carolina 0
Unlike the series opener, both teams saw their leadoff hitter reach in the first inning. Similar, however, was the scoreless effort both starting pitchers threw for the game's first three innings.

The similarities would end there, however, as Houston went on to hand ECU just its third loss by more than a two-run deficit this season. After allowing a base hit to the first batter she faced, Outon buckled down. Aside from an error, Outon got 21 of the next 22 Pirates out.

Houston's offense had its rookie pitcher's back as Gregson drilled her first single - and the Cougars' first hit - of the game to left field to start the fourth. Gaber came up behind her and torched a double off the right field wall, scoring Gregson to give Houston its second 1-0 lead of the day.

While Outon kept the Pirates off the board through the fourth, the Cougars built an insurmountable lead in the top of the fifth against starter Faith Sutton (8-9). Sophomore centerfielder Ashleigh Jones beat out an infield single before Sherman looped a single into shallow left. Sherman's hit marked the 13th time in 14 games that the senior collected at least one hit.

The hit parade continued when Anderson's double brought Jones home, and Gaber's long single drove in Sherman and Anderson. Gaber slid under the tag at home when Klinkert's RBI base knock went through the left side. Klinkert scored to round out the five-spot when Haley Outon tagged an RBI single off of shortstop Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin's glove.

Armed with a 6-0 lead, Outon cruised through the bottom of the fifth. As East Carolina brought in a string of pinch hitters to face her in the sixth, Outon took it in stride. She worked her fourth-consecutive 1-2-3 inning to send the Cougars to the plate for the last time on Saturday.

Adding some insurance, Gaber notched her third hit of the game and Klinkert collected her second in the top of the seventh. Both would score on Haley Outon's double to the right field wall, giving Houston the 8-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the seventh, Outon sat the Pirates in order for the fifth-straight inning to claim the 8-0 victory and her second win in C-USA action this season.

UP NEXT
Houston and East Carolina will battle for rights to the series finale on Sunday. First pitch is set for 11 a.m., 10 a.m. CT.