East Carolina University
Houston
Houston Gains Series Victory
April 25, 2010 | Softball
April 25, 2010
Houston Game 3 Box Score | Houston Game 3 Box Score in PDF Format 
HOUSTON, Texas – The East Carolina softball team dropped its weekend series to Houston as the Cougars claimed a 4-2 victory in Sunday afternoon’s contest. A three-hit, three-RBI performance by Reina Gaber led the Cougars (26-22, 10-10 C-USA) to the win. The Pirates (31-16, 10-5 C-USA) got two runs scored and a hit from senior Charina Sumner, but it was not enough.
Junior Toni Paisley (22-9) had her six-game shutout streak snapped as she suffered the loss. She allowed four runs on six hits and three walks. She also struck out four. Houston’s Bailey Watts (12-9) rebounded from her game-one loss to claim the victory. She limited the Pirates to a pair of runs on five hits. She fanned six and walked four.
In the top of the first, East Carolina jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Sumner led off the game with a walk. Following a foul-out, junior Sissy Jimenez also drew a free pass, putting runners on first and second with one out. Senior Marina Gusman-Brown sent a deep fly ball to left field that Katy Beth Sherman lost in the sun. The ball fell in for a single to load the bases. A fielder’s choice by senior Kaui Tom drove in Sumner for a 1-0 advantage. Classmate Vanessa Moreno sent a line drive into left field that Sherman dove for and caught to end the threat.
Houston responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs to take a 2-1 advantage. Ashleigh Jones led off with an infield single and went to second on a bunt by Sherman. Melissa Gregson then converted a 10-pitch at-bat into a single up the middle that drove in Jones for a 1-1 tie. Gaber followed with a double to right center to plate Gregson for the Cougar lead. The two runs were just the fourth and fifth ECU had surrendered in the first inning all season.
The Pirates put runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the second, but a groundout closed the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Houston tacked on another run for a 3-1 lead. Sherman reached on a one-out single before Gregson hit a grounder back to Paisley, who turned around and threw out Sherman at second base. Shortstop Tom tried to complete the double play, but the throw got away and Gregson ended up on second base. Gaber followed with her second double of the game that drove in Gregson.
East Carolina got a run back in the top of the fifth. Sumner started the inning with a walk. A sacrifice bunt by senior Christina Merrida moved Sumner to second base before a strikeout. With two down, Gusman-Brown sent a grounder to shortstop and beat out the throw to first. On the play, Sumner came all the way around to score as she beat the tag from Gregson, the catcher.
The Cougars regained their two-run lead in the bottom of the frame. Holly Anderson walked before a lineout by Jones. Sherman then drew another walk to put runners on first and second with one out. A strikeout by Gregson brought up Gaber, who singled up the middle to plate Jones for her third run batted in of the contest and a 4-2 Houston lead.
In the sixth and seventh inning, the Pirates managed just one base runner in each inning to seal the Houston victory.
East Carolina has nearly a whole week off before returning home to play Southern Miss (20-22, 5-12 C-USA) May 1-2. The series begins with a 1:00 p.m. Saturday doubleheader before a single game for Senior Day Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
