Houston softball splits midweek matchups with McNeese, Incarnate Word

Houston softball had back-to-back midweek contests against the McNeese State Cowgirls and Incarnate Word Cardinals. 

The Cougars split the matchups with a tough 14-9 loss to McNeese Tuesday, and then a gritty 7-4 win over Incarnate Word on Wednesday.  

Cougars drop rubber match to McNeese in Tuesday slugfest

In a season series rubber match, McNeese and Houston endured a slugfest of a combined 23 runs, 22 hits, and eight home runs, but the Cowgirls came out on top 14-9. 

The game was highlighted by redshirt junior Nyjah Fontenot’s seventh inning grand slam for the Cowgirls, capping off a season-high 14 runs allowed by the Cougars.

In the bottom of the second, Houston tied the game 1-1 on a bases-loaded walk drawn by freshman infielder Leilani Garcia that scored freshman outfielder RyLee Gardner.  

With the Cougars’ deficit at 3-2 entering the fifth inning, McNeese began to cushion its lead again. 

After an error allowed junior outfielder Alexis Dibbey to score from second on a sacrifice bunt from Fontenot, senior infielder Rylee Cloud followed with an RBI single to left. Sophomore utility player Kassidy Chance scored two on a fielder’s choice to cap off the four-run inning and extend the Cowgirls’ lead to 7-2.  

In response, sophomore infielder Maddie Hartley and Gardner each contributed homers in the bottom half towards a three-run inning that cut Houston’s deficit to 7-5. 

But for the next two innings, McNeese would combine for seven runs, to extend the lead over Houston. 

The Cougars attempted to make a comeback in the seventh with Gardner hitting another home run to mark her second multi-homer game of the season, sophomore catcher Isabel Cintron hitting one as well; sophomore infielder Madox Mitchael doubled to left center. Houston would score four runs, but it was too late as they would fall to 14-7 on the season. 

Sophomore pitcher Neveah Brown was handed her second loss of the season, giving up six hits and six earned runs.

Wednesday’s tough win over the Cardinals 

In their second game of back-to-back midweek contests, the Cougars bats stayed hot, scoring seven runs off nine hits to beat Incarnate Word 7-4 on Wednesday and get their third win over the Cardinals this season.

Senior infielder Mandy Esman went 2-for-4 on the day with her second home run of the season in the fourth to cap a three-run fourth inning for Houston. 

Junior infielder Makenna Mitchell and Esparza both had a productive game with each getting two hits; Mitchell hit her eighth home run of the season, good for second on the team just behind Hartley.  

Senior pitcher Nicole Bodeux got the start for the Cougars and only lasted two innings in allowing three runs off seven hits. 

But in relief of Bodeux, Lehman only allowed two hits and one run in three innings towards earning her first win of the season. 

The highlights of the day were senior outfielder Gabby Rawls collecting her first hit of the season, and Brown getting her redemption from last night collecting her second save of the season adding more stats to the hot start that she has been having. 

Up next, the 15-7 Cougars will start their first Big 12 series of the season at home, hosting the reigning national runner-ups No. 3 Texas Tech beginning Friday, March. 6, with a 6 p.m. first pitch.