HOUSTON – It was a tale of two offenses as the University of Houston softball team won both games on the opening day of the Marriott Houston Invitational with a 2-1 victory in eight innings over No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette and a 13-3 win against UTSA.

Houston improved to 4-3 and won its second game against a Top 25 opponent this season.

Game One
Houston 2, Louisiana-Lafayette 1

Houston ended Louisiana-Lafayette’s perfect record with 2-1 victory against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Junior Amanda Crabtree led the Cougars to victory, pitching a career-high of eight innings as she allowed only three hits and tied a career high of 13 strikeouts.

ULL took an early lead, when senior catcher Lana Bowers singled to left field, sending senior third basemen Melissa Verde home. Crabtree then struck out the side to regain control of the inning.
Houston’s only hit came in the third inning when sophomore second basemen Mary Tyler Dobson doubled to center field.

The Cougars knotted the score in the fourth inning. Sophomore Melissa Gregson reached on a fielder’s choice after junior Katy Beth Sherman drew a walk. Sophomore Jennifer Klinkert grounded to third base, advancing Gregson to second. She continued to third on a wild pitched before Holly Anderson made it to first base on a dropped third strike, which allowed Gregson to score.

Louisiana-Lafayette threatened in the fifth when freshman Britni Soria singled to center field, allowing junior Katie Smith to advance from second to home but was thrown out by freshman centerfielder Ashleigh Jones.

In the extra inning of play under International Tie-Breaker Rule, Ashleigh Jones laid down a sacrifice bunt, which lead to Dobson scoring the winning from third.