Sports
 

Cougar softball will try to shiver Pirate timber

Cougar Sports Staff

When the UH softball team opens Conference USA play today with a doubleheader at the Cougar Softball Complex, it will face an East Carolina squad that's more than a little familiar.

Both programs sealed tournaments over the weekend with grand slam home runs. The Pirates' junior outfielder Shirley Burleson blasted one during the Dixie Classic on Sunday to cap off a six-run fourth inning propelling ECU over George Mason 9-2. UH junior shortstop Kristen Glowacz smashed one for a six-run second inning to seal an 8-0 victory over Villanova in the Cougar Classic on Saturday.

Manuel Rearte/The Daily Cougar 

---

Senior pitcher Jenny Johnson has been a rock for the Cougars this season, allowing only four runs in 52.7 innings and compiling a 5-4 record.

As much as they've been on similar paths this season, the Cougars and the Pirates don't have preseason outlooks in common. East Carolina's 5-19 conference record in 2003 was part of the reason it was only picked to finish seventh in preseason polls. The Cougars, coming off a 15-9 league record last year, were picked to finish third.

This year the increasingly intense pitching tandem of senior Jamie Falco, sophomore Crystal Briscoe and senior Jenny Johnson will look to improve its record against the Pirates to 5-1.

Game 1 is set for 5 p.m., followed by Game 2 at 7 p.m.. The series wraps up at noon Wednesday.

 Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu