Cougars Split Day One at Longhorn Invitational

Friday, February 27

Austin, Texas

3:30 PM

University of Houston

12-4

St. Bonaventure

0-15

Houston

St. Bonaventure

Photo by: Stephen Spillman

2/27/2026 8:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Houston defeats St. Bonaventure in first ever meeting; fall to No. 3 Texas

AUSTIN, Texas. – The University of Houston Softball team split day one at the Longhorn Invitational, defeating St. Bonaventure, 3-1, before falling to No. 3 Texas, 9-1, at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Friday.

The Cougars (12-5) secured victory in the first ever meeting against the Bonnies (0-15) as junior Gigi Solis spun a new career-high six strikeouts through 5.0 IP. Freshman Kylee Savant made her first career start behind the plate, also tallying her first career hit and RBI in the top of the second inning.

Game 1 (W, 3-1 vs St. Bonaventure)

Player Highlights

Ronnie Esparza: 1-2, RBI, 2B
Kylee Savant: 1-3, RBI
Makenna Mitchell: 2-3
Gigi Solis: 5.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 K

Game Highlights

The Cougars improved to 9-1 in games when scoring first as well as 7-0 when limiting opponents to two runs or less.
Freshman Kylee Savant made her first collegiate start for the Cougars starring at catcher. She notched her first career hit and RBI in the top of the second inning to score junior Bethany Aguilar from second.
Junior Gigi Solis tossed a new career-best six strikeouts through 5.0 IP, walking none while only giving up one run on the day.
Junior Makenna Mitchell produced her fifth multi-hit game of the season and 14^th of her career, lining two singles into the outfield.
Freshman Ronnie Esparza made her first start in nine games for the Cougars, featuring at first base while tallying her first career double with an RBI to open the scoring for Houston.

Key Innings
2^nd | With one out at the top of the second, sophomore Madox Mitchael reached second via walk and stolen base. Esparza followed up with her first career double, scoring Mitchael to put Houston on the board first 1-0. Following a substitution with Aguilar entering to pinch run for Esparza, Savant secured her first career hit and RBI, doubling the Cougar lead at 2-0.

5^th | With runners on second and third, freshman RyLee Gardner grounded out to short before a throwing error from first base allowed sophomore Ariel Redmond to reach home, adding to Houston's lead at 3-0.

Game 2 (L, 9-1 vs No. 3 Texas)

Player Highlights

Ariel Redmond: 1-3, HR, RBI, R
Madox Mitchael: 1-2
Isabel Cintron: 1-2

Game Highlights

Ariel Redmond cracked her seventh homer of the season and 10^th of her career, going deep with a leadoff solo blast to center field to put Houston on the board first.
Redmond's homer marked the 33^rd of the season for the Cougars, surpassing their 2025 season total (32) in just 17 games this season.
Houston falls to only 9-2 on the season when scoring first, dropping to 0-4 when scoring two runs or less.

UP NEXT
The Cougars continue for day two at the Longhorn Invitational, where they will compete in a second doubleheader in as many days, facing Incarnate Word (noon) and Prairie View A&M (7:30 p.m.) at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin.

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