Sports
 

UH gets down to business vs. Eagles

Cougar Sports Staff

It took freshman pitcher Carla Kennimer to break the Cougars' three-game losing streak Saturday against Texas-Arlington, giving UH a 4-2 win, in Game 2 of a doubleheader. 

But if the Cougars want to start a winning streak and break ahead of a 6-6 all-time series record against Conference USA foe Southern Miss on Saturday, they'll need more than a rookie hurler and a week off to get the job done.

The teams meet at the Cougar Softball Complex with the Eagles boasting an overall record of 17-20 and the Cougar's 24-11. Last season the teams met six times, and the Cougars won five of those meetings. 

After struggling through a 3-2 loss to the Mavericks on Saturday, hot hitters Kristen Glowacz and Arelis Ferreris looked sharp in the nightcap. Ferreris hit her seventh home run of the year, and Glowacz ripped a double off of the left-field fence, scoring junior centerfielder Kim Nesloney and freshman second baseman Jamie Adams in the third inning. Kennimer held the defense together, pitching her first complete game and garnering a four-hitter. 

With any luck, the Cougars will be able to find the bats they lost against UT-A, as the Mavericks took the lead early in the first game. The Cougars tied it up in fifth with a critical two-out hit by sophomore shortstop Jaci Gonzalez. After sophomore outfielder Brooke Johnson sacrificed junior first baseman Michelle Keith to second base, Gonzalez singled up the middle to bring Keith across the plate. But then the Cougars lost almost all momentum. 

On Wednesday Southern Miss, faced intra-state rival Mississippi State after dropping a three-game C-USA series against No. 21 South Florida. Going into the game against MSU, Golden Eagle leftfielder Diane Hammes led the team with a.330 batting average and 30 hits. She boasts 15 RBIs and three homeruns, with the longest hit streak for the Eagles -- eight consecutive games. 

The Cougars will also be keeping their eyes on senior pitchers Jessica Holaway and Danielle Hatfield. Holaway has a team-high 18 appearances for a 5-5 record. She's had one save in 8 and a 1/3 innings of work and holds a 3.70 earned run average with 51 strikeouts and 21 walks. Hatfield remains the Lady Eagles top pitcher with a 3.58 ERA, 30 strikeouts for a 4-3 record.

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