Houston gathers around outfielder Jordee Wilkins (11) to celebrate her home run during an NCAA softball game, Tuesday, March 26, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Houston softball bounced back from a tough weekend series against BYU, defeating McNeese State 10-6 in a midweek game at Cougar Softball Stadium on Tuesday, March 25.
The Cougars came from behind after trailing 2-1 in the first inning, scoring five runs in the second to take control of the game.
Freshman two-way Brooke Wells was the standout performer, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple, an RBI and a walk, while also contributing a key defensive play.
Redshirt junior pitcher Paris Lehman earned the win in relief, pitching two innings and allowing just one run.
Freshman pitcher Maddie Hartley picked up her second save of the season, tossing 1.2 hitless innings to close out the game.
McNeese State mounted a late comeback attempt, with senior infielder Reese Reyna’s solo homer and freshman infielder Brylie Fontenot’s run cutting Houston’s lead to three in the sixth inning.
However, Wells answered with a clutch triple to score junior infielder Mandy Esman, solidifying the Cougars’ 10-6 victory.
McNeese initially jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning, with a pair of doubles driving in a run and another coming home on a groundout.
However, Houston quickly responded in the bottom of the first as sophomore outfielder Jordee Wilkins blasted a solo home run to left field, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.
In the second inning, the Cougars took the lead for good. Freshman infielder Madox Mitchael led off with a walk, stole second and scored on freshman outfielder Ariel Redmond’s single.
Wilkins followed with a double to bring Redmond home, giving Houston a 3-2 lead.
A sacrifice fly from freshman catcher Isabel Cintron plated sophomore infielder Kayley Prudhomme, and Esman’s single brought Wilkins across the plate.
Wells then capped the five-run inning with a single that forced an error, allowing Esman to score, putting Houston ahead 6-2.
McNeese State threatened again in the third with a run to close the gap, and in the fifth, junior infielder Jada Munoz’s solo homer made it 6-4.
However, the Cougars answered back in the home half of the fifth, extending their lead to 9-4.
Redmond walked with the bases loaded to score freshman infielder Emilee Prochaska, and an error on a pop fly allowed Mitchael and Hartley to score.
The Cowgirls continued to fight in the sixth, as Reyna hit another solo homer and a bases-loaded walk brought Fontenot home, cutting the lead to 9-6.
But Wells’ RBI triple in the bottom of the inning gave Houston the insurance run it needed, finalizing the score at 10-6.
This victory marked Houston’s second 10-6 win in the last eight days and extended the Cougars’ streak of scoring five or more runs in an inning to 11 times this season.
Wilkins extended her hitting streak to nine games, her longest of the season, while Wells also reached base in her ninth consecutive game.
Mitchael had her second career multi-stolen base game, increasing her season total to 11 steals.
With the win, Houston improves to 18-11 overall, though they remain 2-5 in conference play.
The Cougars will now hit the road for a three-game series against Utah in Salt Lake City. The series begins on Friday, March 28, with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
sports@thedailycougar.com
—
“Houston softball bounces back with 10-6 win over McNeese” was originally posted on The Cougar