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Sports

UH rolls past McNeese in double header

Cougars defeat Cowgirls 5-4 in Game 1, shut them out 4-0 in Game 2 thanks to Kloecker

by LOURDES CASTILLO
The Daily Cougar 

The Cougars put a lasso on the McNeese Cowgirls not once but twice to improve their record to 5-1. 

The 5-4 and 4-0 victories saw sophomore pitcher/first baseman Angel Shamblin set a new single-game record of 15 strikeouts.

The previous record was set at 13 by Jenny Johnson also against McNeese State in the 2002 season. 

"I thought she led real well, and she did a good job on the mount defensively too, so I was very pleased," head coach Kyla Holas said.

In Game 1, the Cowgirls (0-2) took an early 1-0 lead in the first. McNeese would not score again until Rachael Phillips hit a ball over the left field fence to bring pinch runner Carmen Sittig home. 

With freshman third baseman Christa Raley on third and freshman catcher Elaina Nordstrom on second, Cougar junior transfer DP Laura Durham hit her second homer of the season to left center to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"At one time they are running out of time and their personality wasn't there, they needed to come through for us and they stepped right up," Holas said. "That's one of the things that is different about this team. When we ask them to do something, they do it right away."

During two extra innings, the Cowgirls tried to earn their first win of the 2006 season, but were shutdown as Durham gave UH a 5-4 win after she walked to first, advanced to second and third on a passed ball and was able to score on a single to right field by freshman right fielder Laurie Wagner.

During Game 2, Shambling hit her first homer of the season at the bottom of the second to give UH a 1-0 lead.

She was also responsible for a run in the third, while freshman shortstop Jessica Valis claimed the remaining two runs, one in the second and another in the fifth.

"(The outcome was) pretty good for us. We are starting off the season strong and hopefully we'll roll with it going into this weekend," Shamblin said.

Holas had nothing but praise for her versatile pitcher after the game.

"I was pretty pleased that Angel (Shamblin) held in there and did what she needed to do in order for us to come back around," Holas said. Junior transfer pitcher Candi Kloecker registered a no-hitter until the fifth and claimed her second win of the season.

"(Her performance) is not a fluke. We are expecting great things from her. The line up that it gives us in terms of her being able to pitch makes us really strong," Holas said.
 

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