May 8, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON -The host and top-seeded Houston Cougars used a record tying effort from slugger Laurie Wagner and a six-run sixth inning to run-rule No. 9 Memphis, 9-1, in six innings during game four of the 2008 Conference USA Softball Championship at the Cougar Softball Stadium.

Houston (49-8) got on the board first with three runs in the first frame off Memphis starter Kimber Bossom. With nobody on and two outs, Elaina Nordstrom walked on four pitches, followed by Jennifer Klinkert also getting a free pass. Wagner stepped to the plate next and crushed a three-run homer to left center field.

The blast was her 18th on the season to break the UH single-season record while tying the C-USA single-season mark. Wagner joins two-time C-USA Player of the Year Rachel Folden of Marshall and Holly Graves of Marshall as the only league players to hit 18 home runs in a season.

The homer was the first off Bossom since March 5 against Central Arkansas. The RHP had gone 112.1 innings without allowing a dinger.

Memphis (25-30) scored its only run of the game in the top of the third. Right after making a great play at shortstop, freshman Maddie McKinley led off inning with a solo shot over the center field fence. It was her fourth homer of the year and eighth run scored. The homer is just the ninth hit all season off Houston ace Angel Shamblin.

McKinley's homer set a Memphis record for dingers in a season with 48. The Tigers hit three long balls on the day. The previous record of 47 was set last year in 61 games. The U of M hit the 48 in 55 games.

The Tigers pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the third and fourth innings, before Rayna McClinton got into trouble in the sixth inning and was unable to pitch out of it.

With one out, Katie Bush walked and then stole second, before Amanda Grote and Nordstrom both walked to load the bases. Klinkert, the C-USA Freshman of the Year, was up next and crushed the day's second grand slam to give her team a 7-1 lead.

Klinkert now has 14 home runs on the season, one of the top marks in UH history.

The blast forced McClinton from the game and Lyndsey Sterling came in to try and finish out the frame. She was greeted to the contest by a single from Wagner and a double by Shamblin. With runners on second and third, Baillie Lott hit a pop fly down the right field line that was dropped by Tori Gross, allowing both runners to score and enforcing the run-rule.

Shamblin, the C-USA Pitcher of the Year, notched five strikeouts and gave up only two hits in six innings of work. She improves to an impressive 31-2 on the season.

Bossom (11-16) took the loss for the Tigers.

Houston advances to play the winner of game five between No. 4 Marshall and No. 5 East Carolina in Friday's second semifinal game at 4:30 p.m.