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19 - Ronni Grofman
Juan DeLeon
10
Houston Christian HCU 15-16
12
Winner HOUSTON HOUSTON 22-14
Houston Christian HCU
15-16
10
Final
12
HOUSTON HOUSTON
22-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Houston Christian HCU 1 0 1 0 5 1 2 10 14 3
HOUSTON HOUSTON 2 0 0 3 7 0 X 12 13 4

W: Edwards, Taylor (2-0) L: Evans, Kynleigh (1-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

SB: Huskies outslugged in cross-town clash with Cougars

Bailey and Savage both homer, trio of Huskies with three RBI in thrilling midweek matchup



HOUSTON ---  Houston Christian University dropped a slugfest to cross-town foe University of Houston on Tuesday evening, falling 12-10 at Cougar Softball Stadium. The Huskies rallied from a 5-2 deficit with a five-spot in the fifth, then fell behind in the bottom half before a seventh-inning rally fell short in the thrilling mid-week clash.
 
HCU got on the board first in the first when Ronni Grofman coaxed a bases loaded walk to bring home Haylie Savage. UH would come right back in their first at-bats, putting two on the board to grab the lead. The Cougars go their first tally on a double steal as Turiya Coleman nabbed home to tie the game. The hosts then took the lead when Kennedy Thomas singled to left and Jazmyn Rollin scored on a throwing error.
 
The Huskies would knot things up in the third. Savage reached on an error to start the frame, and after two fly outs to right, Maddy Bailey singled to right field to put two on. Grofman then placed a ball inside the right field line to bring Savage around and make the score 2-2.
 
In the fourth, the Cougars would put a crooked number on the board. Mikalah Nitta had a two-run single and Rollin would follow with an RBI single of her own, putting the hosts up 5-2.
 
HCU would not go away. Jasie Roberts would lead off the fifth inning with a single up the middle and Kaicey Hagler singled to short to put two on with no outs. Maddy Bailey then cranked her third homer of the season, a massive blast to right center that tied the game at five apiece.
 
Not quite done, the Huskies made it a five-spot moments later. Jackie Jessup was hit by a pitch and Tabitha Burnett singled, with Jessup moving to third on an error. Juls Garcia then reached on an error that allowed Jessup to score. After AB Garcia fouled out to left, Haylie Savage laced a single to left center to score Burnett and cap off the inning with HCU holding a 7-5 advantage.
 
UH would respond immediately, loading the bases with one out. Lair Beautae and Coleman drew walks to drive in runs, Nitta reached on an error to bring in a run, and Rollin and Thomas then each had RBI singles, giving the Cougars a matching five-spot to regain the three-run lead they had just squandered. Shelby Smith and Bethany Aguilar kept the rally going with RBI singles, pushing the lead to 12-7, and complete a 12-run fifth-inning outburst by both teams.
 
The Huskies would put one on the board in the sixth when Grofman singled up the middle and Jasie Roberts kept coming from second to score, cutting the lead to 12-8. In the seventh, HCU continued to battle, and with one out, AB Garcia singled through the left side to bring up Savage, who then lasered a ball to right center that snuck over the wall, bringing the score to 12-10. The Huskies would get the tying run to the plate, but couldn't score, as Houston held on for the exciting mid-week win.
   
The Huskies tied a season-high by cranking out 14 hits. Kaicey Hagler matched a career-high with three hits to lead the barrage. Haylie Savage was 2-4 with her fifth homer and two runs scored while driving in three to retake the team lead. Maddy Bailey hit her third dinger of the season, going 2-5 with three RBI and Ronni Grofman went 2-3 and made it a trio of players with three driven in.
 
Jasie Roberts was 2-5 with two runs scored and AB Garcia also went 2-5 with a run. The two hits by Garcia pushed her over the century mark for her career.
 
Kynleigh Evans battled for 4.1 innings against a robust Houston offense, falling to 1-3 on the season.
 
Jazymn Rollin was 3-5 with two RIB to pace a 13-hit attack for the Cougars, now 22-14 overall. Shelby Smith had three hits and Mikalah Nitta drove in three. Taylor Edwards, the third and final UH pitcher of the evening, picked up the victory with three innings of relief.
 
HCU is now 15-16 on the year. The Huskies will get back to Southland action this weekend, traveling to the Alamo City for a three-game series against longtime rival University of the Incarnate Word.
 
The two teams will renew a rivalry that dates all the way back to the first year of HCU softball in 1989. The Huskies and Cardinals will open with a single game at 4 pm on Friday, followed by a noon doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.  
 
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