April 9, 2008

Stats

HOUSTON -- The University of Houston softball team got three home runs en route to a double-header sweep of visiting UTSA Wednesday at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Houston (33-5, 10-1 C-USA) won game one by a 3-0 margin and took the nightcap 5-3 over the Roadrunners (18-20, 13-8 SLC).

Freshman Jennifer Klinkert and junior Laurie Wagner each had a home run in game one. In the bottom of the second, Klinkert sent a 1-0 pitch over left field giving her 10 home runs on the season, tying the school record for fifth most home runs in a season. Wagner joined Klinkert at the top of the all-time ledger after she sent a home run over center field on a 1-1 pitch in the fourth inning.

Both players share the all-time single-season mark with Jeanie Davis (2003), Laura Durham (2007) and Haley Valis (2007).

Houston added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth after junior Jessica Valis scored on a ground out by Elaina Nordstrom. Valis hit the 11th triple of her career to reach base. The triple ties her for most career triples in program history. Valis is tied with current assistant coach Kim Nesloney.

Shamblin pitched the complete game moving to 20-2 in the circle. She allowed two hits, seven strikeouts, two walks.

Game Two- Houston 5, UTSA 3
Nordstrom gave Houston a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third in game two off a three-run homer to left field. It was her ninth home run of the year. The home run gives her 26 for her career moving her into fourth place all-time on the UH career charts. She also has 128 career RBI, ranking her third all-time. She is nine-shy of breaking her own single-season mark of 54 set in 2006.

The Cougars added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth when freshman Kasey Willow plating junior Haley Valis and freshman Katy Beth Sherman off a two-run double.

Senior Barbie Love went 5.2 innings scattering nine hits, giving up three runs, walking four and striking out six. Shamblin entered the game in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs. She needed one pitch to retire the side and strike out all three batters she faced in the top of the seventh earning her second save of the season.

Love earned the win and moved to 8-1 on the year.

UTSA stranded 10 runners in game two and recorded only two extra base hits on the day.

Up Next
Houston will remain on their home field when they host Conference USA foe, ECU, on April 12-13. All three games of the series will air on CBS College Sports. Saturday will feature a doubleheader set to begin at 1:30pm with the second game slated to start at 4pm. The final game of the series will begin at noon on Sunday. Jason Knapp (play-by-play) and Ann Schatz (analyst) will call the action.

Livestats for all University of Houston softball games are available by clicking the gametracker link on the schedule page at www.UHCougars.com. Streaming video for all home games is available by clicking the All-Access link on www.UHCougars.com.