Sports

Cougars make 'Dogs whimper

Cougar Sports Staff

Thereis no doubt the Cougar softball team wasnit looking past Alabama A&M. It just used the Bulldogs as tune-up for its conference series against DePaul.

The Cougars blasted the Bulldogs (11-21) for 21 runs in two games Thursday, blanking them 12-0 in Game 1 and 9-1 in Game 2 to improve to 24-13. UH has won 11 of its last 14 games.

Nathan Lindstrom/The Daily Cougar

Head coach Kyla Holas held out junior pitchers Jamie Falco and Jenny Johnson for the weekend, but the frosh showed theyill be ready to step in when needed.

While freshman Crystal Briscoe (6-3) struck out eight batters and shut out the Bulldogs in Game 1, freshman Brooke Johnson turned in one of the pitching staffis best performances of the season in Game 2. She threw a no-hitter to earn her first win of her career. She struck out eight in five innings of work. The Bulldogsi only run of the doubleheader came off a wild pitch at the top of the fifth inning.

The pitching was stellar, but the offense didnit let Briscoe and Johnson do all the work. Sophomore infielder Jeanie Davisi hit her seventh home run of the season, a grand slam in the second inning of Game 1. Davis leads the conference in home runs.

The eight-run mercy rule was put into effect early but UH still pounded the Bulldogs for 10 hits and 10 RBIs in four innings.

After jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning, the Cougars called off the dogs early in Game 2 when they scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 9-1 lead.

The Cougars play the Blue Demons in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday. Both games are at the Cougar Softball Stadium.

DePaul (18-4) is led by senior Lindsay Chouinard and junior Sarah Martz. Chouinard leads the team with 13 RBIs but sheis also the staff ace. Sheis 9-2 with a 0.92 ERA and 66 strike outs in 88 innings. Martz is 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA but she leads the team with a .483 batting average and .633 slugging percentage.

Following the DePaul series, UH will go on the road to begin a three-game series against Charlotte on Friday.

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