Houston softball’s final regular season series against the No. 20 Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, Ariz., over April 24-26 brought a similar taste of bitterness.
The season-closing series kept up with the theme of allowing large run totals. Houston was outscored 32-5 over the series, marking the fourth time it was outscored by 19+ runs in a series this season.
Houston came into the series with just three conference wins and in the midst of a six-game losing streak. That streak extended to nine with the Cougars’ wilted figure of three conference wins remaining the same.
The finishing places for these two squads could not be more polarizing: Arizona finished second in the Big 12, while Houston finished dead last.
The Cougars finished the season at 20-31 overall with a dull 3-21 conference record, while Arizona finished 34-13 overall with a 15-6 conference record.
Although the wins came at a slow rate, this season’s softball team made its way into the program record books, as it finished with the second-most home runs in a single season in program history.
This squad sent 70 pitches over the wall, trailing only the 2008 Cougars team, which hit 73.
The series was also memorable for sophomore infielder Maddie Hartley, who became the second Cougar to smack 20+ home runs in a season. She is the first to do so since 2012, when Haley Outen hit 22.
Opening battle sees the Cougars fall off four Wildcat home runs
The Wildcats pounced on the Cougars early and never relinquished control as Houston lost 9-1 in the opener.
Sophomore outfielder Addison Duke and senior catcher Sydney Stewart smacked home runs for Arizona in the second inning after going up two in the first to build a 5-0 lead.
Junior infielder Makenna Mitchell cut Arizona’s lead to 5-1 with a solo shot to center field.
Arizona promptly slammed the door shut with two more home runs from Stewart and senior infielder Tayler Biehl in the fourth to force an early ending.
Mitchell provided two of Houston’s six hits in the contest, however the Cougars advanced just three runners compared to Arizona’s 12.
Sophomore pitcher Neveah Brown was given her 12th loss of the season after she allowed five earned runs off six hits in 1.2 innings.
Senior pitcher Nicole Bodeux posted a similar line in relief, as she allowed four earned runs off six hits in the same length of innings thrown.
Four Wildcats had multiple hits, as Biehl and junior utility hitter Regan Shockey went 3-for-3 at the plate. Stewart led Arizona with five RBI off her pair of home runs.
Senior pitcher Jalen Adams was awarded her 19th win of the season as she pitched a complete game and allowed just one earned run while striking out three batters.
Cougars blanked in middle game, give Wildcats series victory
Houston’s bats couldn’t find any other answers to the test in the middle game of the series, as it found just three hits in an 8-0 run-rule loss.
Mitchell collected her 90th hit as a Cougar in the fourth inning while sophomore outfielder Ariel Redmond earned a hit in her sixth straight game.
Sophomore pitcher London Park received the loss, as she allowed five earned runs off six hits in two innings pitched.
Arizona got on the board early with a 2-RBI single from senior utility hitter Grace Jenkins before the Wildcats tacked on another three runs in the third.
Houston had an opportunity to cut into the lead in the fourth inning with a two-on, no-out situation. However, an ensuing double play and flyout shut down the scoring hopes.
Arizona added another three runs in the fourth to pave the way for a second straight early end.
Shockey went 3-for-3 at the plate while Jenkins led Arizona in RBI with three.
Freshman pitcher Rylie Holder was awarded her 10th win of the season after she went all five innings and struck out five batters.
Arizona seals sweep of Houston, Hartley becomes second Cougar to reach 20 home runs in single season
The positives for Houston were sparse in the series and regular season finale, as Arizona scored 15 unanswered runs to beat Houston 15-4.
However, a bright spot of the afternoon was when Hartley hit her 20th home run to put herself in historic company.
Hartley’s homer put Houston up 2-0 in the first before Arizona responded with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Arizona scored all 15 runs within the first three innings of the game to snatch control away from the Cougars’ claws.
After three Arizona home runs in the first inning from Stewart, Jenkins and junior outfielder Tele Jennings, the Wildcats added another five in the second inning.
Jennings scored two on an RBI single before a throwing error by freshman outfielder RyLee Gardner allowed Stewart to score as well. A Biehl RBI single and Jenkins RBI double gave Arizona a 10-2 lead into the third inning.
A three-run Jenkins blast capped off scoring for Arizona, as she lifted the Wildcats to a 15-2 lead before the third inning was over.
Sophomore senior infielder Kylei Griffin added the final run of the game with an RBI single to make the score 15-4.
Hartley led the Cougars in RBI with her two-run blast as she went 2-of-3 at the plate.
Junior pitcher Gigi Solis was given the loss after she allowed two home runs and four total earned runs before she recorded a single out.
The Wildcats recorded 14 hits as a team, as Jenkins, Jennings and Shockey all recorded three hits. Jenkins and Jennings both brought home five runners.
Holder was once again given the win after she went three innings and allowed no runs with two hits.
Houston will next turn to the Big 12 softball tournament, which begins May 7 at OGE Energy Field in Oklahoma City, Okla.
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