No. 9/11 Houston Ends Memphis' Season

Thursday, May 8

Houston, Texas

5:30 PM

University of Memphis

25-30

No. 9/11 Houston

49-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Memphis	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	2
Houston	3	0	0	0	0	6	9	6	0

Freshman Maddie McKinley homered for the Tigers in a 9-1 loss to No. 9/11 Houston in the C-USA Championship.

May 08, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

May 8, 2008

Box Score |  Notes |  Photo Gallery 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475

Memphis (25-30)       001 000 - 1  2  2
#9/11 Houston (49-8)  300 006 - 9  6  0
WP: Bossom (11-16) LP: Shamblin (29-2)
HR: (HOU) Wagner (18), Klinkert (14)
    (MEM) McKinley (4)

Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Memphis softball season came to an end on Thursday with a 9-1 defeat to No. 9/11 Houston in the Conference USA Championship.

The Tigers (25-30) were within two runs of the Cougars (49-8) until a six run sixth inning gave Houston the run rule victory. Two UH home runs accounted for the first seven runs with five of the scoring players reaching on walks.

Freshman Kimber Bossom (11-16) suffered the loss for Memphis after pitching the first two innings and giving up three runs on one hit with three walks. The Tigers used four pitchers in the game and were holding Houston to three hits until the sixth inning.

Memphis had two hits with both coming in the third inning. Freshman Maddie McKinley accounted for the Tigers' only run with a solo shot.

For the second-straight game, the Tigers fell behind in the opening inning. Houston scored three runs on one hit in the bottom of the first on a three-run blast by Laurie Wagner. The homer is the first off Bossom since March 5 against Central Arkansas. The RHP had gone 112.1 innings without allowing a dinger.

McKinley cut the Houston lead to two with a solo home run to lead off the third inning. The line drive over the center field fence for her fourth dinger came right after she made a great play at shortstop to help Memphis record a perfect second.

McKinley's homer sets a new Memphis record for long balls in a season with 48. The Tigers have three on the day and recorded the feat in 55 games. The previous record of 47 was set last year in 61 games.

Memphis pitched out of bases loaded jams in the third and fourth innings. Freshman Janelle Valle pitching in relief of Bossom got out of both jams, including a one-out bases loaded jam in the third.

Freshman Rayna McClinton became the third pitcher for Memphis in the fifth inning and held the Cougars scoreless in the fifth. But after giving up three-straight walks in the sixth with one out, Jennifer Klinkert hit a grand slam to left field to give Houston a six run lead.

Houston added two more runs to end the game in the inning on a Memphis fielding error.