May 12, 2006

Tulsa, Okla. - No. 3 seed Houston posted a 7-1 victory over No. 6 seed Southern Miss in game eight of the 2006 Conference USA Softball Championship at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex on Friday. The victory marks the first 40-win season in program history for UH and puts the Cougars in Saturday's semifinal vs. Tulsa at 10:30 a.m., with the winner advancing to play No. 2 seed Marshall in the title game at 2:30 p.m.

"That was a sweet one too," Houston head coach Kyla Holas said on how her team got to 40 wins. "We have a big rivalry with Southern Miss, so every time we play them and take something like that it's a real emotional battle for us."

The Cougars never trailed as Candi Kloecker and Crystal Briscoe combined on a one-hitter, while Laura Durham and Laurie Wagner hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to lead the six-hit offensive effort.

Senior Jaci Gonzalez snuck a slow grounder through the right side to score a pair of runs and give the Cougars a quick 2-0 lead in the second inning. However, the Golden Eagles cut the lead in half during the bottom of the second, manufacturing a run after Jessica Huerta walked. The senior stole second, moved to third on a single by Kristin Pilgrim and scored on a suicide squeeze by Allison Bullard.

In the third, Southern Miss starter Lacey Gros retired Katie Bush before walking four-consecutive batters to force in a run. Wagner then made the score 4-1 on a sacrifice fly, but Angel Shamblin was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play to end the inning.

Kloecker walked a pair of Golden Eagles in the fourth, but Durham ended the threat by spearing a sharp liner by Bullard and doubling off Huerta, who drifted a few steps off second.

Durham did damage at the plate in the next frame, as she blasted a two-run homer to straightaway centerfield. Wagner then made it back-to-back home runs with a solo shot to left-center. Durham's dinger was her ninth of the season, tying Elaina Nordstrom for the team lead. Wagner's shot was her second of the season.

Pilgrim's infield single would be the only tally in the hits column for Southern Miss as Kloecker struck out four to improve to 10-9 on the campaign. Gros was dealt the loss, falling to 14-20.

Gonzalez and Durham are tied for the championship-high with four RBI through the first eight games.

Southern Miss opened the championship with a 2-1 victory over the Cougars on Thursday and finished in fourth place with a 2-2 record.