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Sports

Cougars hit the road to start conference play

by LEE CLARK
The Daily Cougar

The Cougars kick off Conference USA play this weekend with a three-game series against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss., starting with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Cougars (17-9) enter the series after dropping both games of its doubleheader against National Fastpitch Coaches Association No. 4 Texas A&M on Wednesday night. 

The 3-0 and 4-3 losses were a symbol of the team's tough luck when it comes to playing nationally ranked opponents. Eight of the Cougars' nine losses this year have come at the hands of NFCA Top 25 teams, and four of those defeats were by a one-run margin.

UH head coach Kyla Holas believes playing tough, non-conference opponents will benefit her team going into conference play.

"We played this type of schedule as a gauge to see where we're at," Holas said. "The team knows that (it) can hang with anyone in the nation."

The Cougars will face Southern Miss which was picked to finish seventh in the conference preseason coaches' poll.

The Golden Eagles (7-13) have struggled this year due in large part to a pitching staff that gives up over six runs per game.

Last season, the Cougars claimed four of the five meetings between the two teams. Three of those games were decided by one run. Given the team's recent history against the Golden Eagles, UH sophomore catcher Elaina Nordstrom is not going to take Southern Miss team for granted.

"They are always close games and a fight to the finish when we play Southern Miss," Nordstrom said in a release. "We know that we're going to have to play our best to win."

The second game of Saturday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 3 p.m. The teams will conclude their series with the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

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