East Carolina University
Houston
Cougars Top Pirates In 10
May 01, 2011 | Softball
May 1, 2011
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - A leadoff home run by Melissa Gregson and another solo homer by Jennifer Klinkert in the top of the 10th lifted Houston to a 5-3 comeback victory over East Carolina Sunday afternoon. The Pirates scored three times in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead with freshman Kristi Oshiro driving in two runs with a single to left center, but the Cougars answered with an unearned run in the top of the fifth before the pair of long balls in the 10th.
Houston (36-15, 16-5 C-USA) won all three games against ECU, handing the Pirates (34-19, 14-10 C-USA) their first home Conference USA sweep since March 18-19, 2006, against UAB. East Carolina also dropped a pair of games to Marshall April 4, 2008, but the finale was canceled due to rain.
Senior Toni Paisley (26-10) went all 10 innings for the Pirates, surrendering 11 hits and five runs, but only two earned. She fanned eight and walked one. The eight strikeouts moved her up to 23rd on the NCAA Division I all-time list with 1,222 in her career. Houston's Donna Bourgeois threw the first three-and-two-thirds, allowing three runs on a trio of hits and three walks. She also uncorked five wild pitches and struck out a batter. Diedre Outon (5-2) picked up the win in relief as she scattered three hits over six-and-a-third innings of work. Outon issued two walks and fanned four.
Houston jumped on the Pirates in the top of the first for a 2-0 lead. Katy Beth Sherman reached on a fielding error by senior Sissy Jimenez at first base to open the game. Holly Anderson followed with a bunt attempt that she popped up. Sophomore third baseman Cicely Lopez dove for the ball, but it bounced off the end of her glove and Sherman was safe at second with Anderson ending up at first. Paisley struck out Gregson, but the third strike kicked off the end of sophomore catcher Kai Clark's glove, allowing Sherman and Anderson to advance a base. Reina Gaber singled to left center just out of reach of diving ECU freshman center fielder Jasmine Robbins, plating Sherman. The Cougars' next batter, Klinkert, fouled out to right field, driving in Anderson for the second run of the frame. A strikeout swinging got Paisley out of the jam.
The Pirates mounted a threat in the bottom of the second but did not score. Lopez started the inning with a walk and was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice grounder by Robbins. A wild pitch by Bourgeois advanced Robbins to second with one out. Freshman Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin followed with a fielder's choice as Anderson fielded the ball at third and tried to retire Robbins at second, but Robbins slid back in safely. Kaluhiokalani-Glackin ended up safe at first on the play. A strikeout and groundout allowed Bourgeois to get out of trouble.
ECU put two more runners on in the bottom of the third but failed to convert. After a groundout, Oshiro walked and junior Suzanne Riggs followed with a liner off the glove of Bourgeois. Klinkert at second base failed to pick up the ball and Oshiro ended up safe at second on the error. A groundout by Jimenez forced Riggs out at second base with Oshiro moving to third on the play. Jimenez advanced to second on a wild pitch, but a groundout to Klinkert by Lopez closed the threat.
East Carolina broke through in the bottom of the fourth, scoring its first runs of the weekend by pushing three across for a 3-2 lead. Robbins led off with a single and came home on three wild pitches by Bourgeois. With two outs, freshman Jordan Lewis singled up the middle and stole second base before classmate Jill Jelnick drew a walk to put runners on first and second. A passed ball moved the pair up a base. Oshiro followed with a single to left center that plated both for a 3-2 advantage. Outon entered and retired Riggs on a pop out to end the frame.
Houston answered immediately in the top of the fifth and tied the game at 3-3. Sherman singled up the middle with one out, but was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice by Anderson. Gregson singled to right field, advancing Anderson to third with two outs. Gaber then sent a grounder to Kaluhiokalani-Glackin at shortstop, who could not field the ball cleanly, allowing Anderson to score and knot the game. A foul out ended the threat.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Stesha Brazil and Ashleigh Jones hit back-to-back singles, but a Sherman pop out to Paisley in the circle ended the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jimenez singled with one out and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Mahrisch Medina. After a strikeout, Outon hit Robbins on an 0-2 pitch to put runners on first and second. Another strikeout by Outon sent the game into extra innings.
Houston had its leadoff batter on in the top of the eighth as Klinkert drew a four-pitch walk. She moved to second on a one-out sacrifice bunt, but a soft lineout to Kaluhiokalani-Glackin ended the threat.
Neither team had another runner reach second base until the top of the 10th when Gregson led off with the game-winning home run. One out later, Klinkert also sent a solo shot to left field for a 5-3 edge.
Outon worked around a leadoff single by Robbins in the bottom of the inning as Kaluhiokalani-Glackin lined into a double play. A groundout to Anderson ended the game. It was ECU's 16th defeat of the year by two or fewer runs and the team's fifth C-USA contest that went to 10 or more innings.
East Carolina wraps up the regular season next weekend at Longwood against the host Lancers and UMBC. The Pirates play Longwood (32-11) at 12:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:00 p.m. Sunday and UMBC (24-21) at approximately 2:00 p.m. Saturday.
