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HOUSTON – HBU split a pair of games against Prairie View A&M in the Huskies' home-opener on Saturday afternoon at Husky Field with Shae Bibby recording her first collegiate shutout in game two. Prairie View took game one by a score of 9-3 with HBU coming out on the winning end of game two, 6-0.
 
HBU (3-4) got something going in the bottom of the third with the first three batters reaching base to load the bases but the Huskies were unable to push a run across, leaving the bases loaded to end the frame. The momentum Prairie View (1-5) gained from the defensive stop carried over to the plate as the Panthers put up eight runs on six hits in the top of the fourth, chasing HBU starting pitcher Stephanie Buenrostro from the game.
 
The Huskies answered in the bottom half of the fourth with Kassie James and Cecilia Bauer leading the inning off with back-to-back singles. Then, with two outs, an error on a Kay Schroeder fly to right brought James and Bauer home to cut the lead to 8-2.
 
Prairie View added a since run in the top of the seventh after a leadoff walk, a single and an RBI groundout. HBU picked up its final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh when a James single, her third hit of the game, brought Demi Janak across the plate from second base.
 
James was 3-for-4 in game one with an RBI and one run scored while Megan Hiers also enjoyed a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. The Huskies were held without an extra base hit in the game, recording 10 singles and stranding 10 base-runners.
 
Buenrostro took the loss in the circle, allowing four earned runs on four hits over three innings while striking out three and walking two. Emily Mueller gave up five earned runs in four innings of relief work. Buenrostro falls to 1-1 on the season.
 
Game two was a different story, with HBU enjoying a big fourth inning. With the game scoreless, HBU had runners on first and second with two outs when a Bauer single loaded the bases. Hiers hit a sharp single down the third base line that hopped over the third baseman's head to bring James home. Shae Bibby, the Huskies' starting pitcher, helped out her cause with a two-run single up the middle in her second at bat of the season. Brooke Bushman followed that up with a triple to deep right field, plating two more. Run six came the following at bat on a Libby Brown double to left center.
 
Bibby, making her second career start, scattered 10 singles over seven innings of work, stranding eight Panther runners in the shutout victory. She walked just one in the win, improving to 1-1 on the season.
 
No Husky had more than one hit in the game, as all seven HBU hits came during the six-run fourth inning.
 
HBU remains at home for their next game, hosting Texas Southern for a single game at Husky Field on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 3:00 p.m.