HOUSTON - No. 17 Houston's Bailey Watts tossed a no-hitter
to shutout the ULM softball team and hand it its first loss of the Houston
Hilton Plaza Invitational in a 9-0 five inning run rule decision Saturday
evening at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
Kayla Boening, Roxy Cassel and Charlotte Pastor were the
lone Warhawks to get on base with one walk apiece. Boening also added a stolen
base. Samantha Hamby (2-1) earned her first loss of the season after allowing
three earned runs and two strikeouts in two innings of action. Haylie Wilson
stepped in for the final two innings and threw one strikeout and two earned
runs.
The Warhawks (4-3) threatened in the first inning when Kayla
Boening reached on a walk and advanced to third on a steal and a failed rundown
attempt. Houston secured the final out however to take its turn at bat and led
off with a walk and two singles to score the first run. A sacrifice bunt and
sacrifice fly sent Ashleigh Jones home to give the Cougars an early 2-0 lead.
The Cougars (6-0) broke out with a five run second inning which
began when Jones scored off a Reina Gaber single. An error allowed Gaber to
reach home following a walk and another single when Halye Outon's home run to
left center cleared the bases to put Houston ahead 7-0.
Two more single runs pushed the Cougars' advantage to 9-0. Jennifer
Hooker singled to center field and scored off a Kendra Cullum double that fell
just short of the right field wall in the third inning, and a Melissa Gregson
pushed Outson across home plate with another single in the fourth.
Outon and Jones each went 2-for-2 for the Cougars with two
runs while Gaber also crossed home plate twice. Outson also collected a
game-high four RBIs and the lone home run. Watts threw six strikeouts for the
complete game performance.
The Warhawks hit the field again tomorrow morning for their
final two games of the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational. ULM faces McNeese
State at 11 a.m. followed by No. 17 Houston at 1 p.m.
