Shocker SB at Houston

[flyingMoose]

The Shockers continue conference play this weekend at Houston in single games Friday through Sunday. The scheduled start times are 6pm on Friday, 2pm on Saturday and noon on Sunday.


The Cougars are a preseason pick for second among the eight schools playing softball in the AAC, receiving two of the first-place votes. With their current RPI, they are effectively tied for third among the AAC schools since they and Tulsa are one spot apart. Their record thus far is 25-15 and is 1-2 against teams that are at least RV in the Coaches’ Poll, defeating Ole Miss. Against other teams of interest, they have split with Texas, losing an early season game and winning in recent weeks. In conference play they are 4-5, winning two games against ECU and one game against UCF and USF.

The Houston offense is led by Arielle James with an OPS of 1.034 and Sarah Queen at .968 and a team-leading six homers. No other Cougar has an OPS above .700.

Savannah Heebner has over half of the innings. Her ERA is 0.93 with a WHIP 0.82 - impressive to say the least. Of the two other pitchers, Trystan Melancon has the most innings, carrying an ERA of 2.88 and a WHIP of 1.31. The innings of Presley Bell are not far behind. Her numbers are 2.17 and 1.13.


The record for the Shockers is now 22-15.

The leading offensive performers for the Shocks are Laurie with an OPS at .984 and a team-leading eight homers, Paige at .945 and six homers, Ryleigh at .925 and Mackenzie at .905. Bailee also has six home runs.

Bailey’s ERA is now 3.18 with a WHIP of 1.34. BaileyK has numbers of 3.10 and 1.60, while Caitlin’s are 5.96 and 1.86.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks with an opportunity to show their resilience coming off of two straight heartbreaking losses after leading late in the game.

[1972Shocker]

Really nice article on Kayle Huecker by Sully in The Roundhouse. Some very interesting history for Kaylee that I was unaware of.

http://goshockers.com/news/2018/4/13...be-signed.aspx

Here or the Shocker Series Notes for Houston:

http://goshockers.com/news/2018/4/12/softball-shockers-at-houston-for-conference-series.aspx

[1972Shocker]

Looks like there is some light, scattered shows in the Houston area. I assume a weather delay perhaps. Nothing on live stats 45 minutes after the scheduled start time.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks drop the series opener at Houston 7-0. Have to go back to the games against ranked teams like Washington, Ohio State and Michigan to find this kind of loss. Shocks really never in it.

Limited to 4 hits over the 1st three innings, 2 by Laurie Derrico. The only base runner we had over the final 4 innings was Bailee Nickerson who was hit by a pitch in the 6th.

Bailey Lange started in the circle for the Shocks. Gave up a run in the 2nd on a single and a triple. In the 3rd Houston had a runner on 1st via a single but there were 2 outs. That 3rd out was a bit elusive. A single and a walk loaded the bases. Another single scored two runs making it 3-0 with base runners ending up on 2nd and 3rd. An infield single compounded by a throwing error by Kaylee Huecker scored 2 more runs to make it 5-0.

Bailey Klitzke pitched the 4th ad the 5th allowing 1 unearned run and Hailey Martinez pitched the 6th innings and gave up another unearned run.

I hope this team's psyche wasn't damaged too badly by the way they lost the Tulsa series finale and the OU game. This is the first time this year the Shocks have lost 3 in a row. Hopefully, they will be able to snap out of it today.

[flyingMoose]

Strangely, Bailey has been more effective in the mid-week games than the weekend games recently. Do the conference teams scout the video and have a good idea of Bailey's approach whereas the mid-week teams don't bother? Scout not only the pitchers but the hitters? The Shocks do the same, of course, but to lesser effect?

When the conference teams have a solid #1 in the circle, the Shockers have tended to do markedly better on their second look at her. Maybe there is still a chance to get two wins out of the weekend.

[1972Shocker]

There is always a chance if the Ladies can get in the right frame of mind.

[flyingMoose]

Game Two

The Cougar twitter feed says the tarp is off the field, but the game will not start at the scheduled 2pm to allow for field prep and team warmups. Hmm, I notice that the school colors are Scarlet and Albino.

[1972Shocker]

Shocker twitter page says first pitch in about 15 minutes.

Here is the starting linup for the Shocks: https://twitter.com/GoShockersSB/sta...33449740128265

Caitlyn Bingham will start in the circle.

Asea moving to CF. Bailee will move over to LF.

Ryleigh moving into the cleanup spot with Bailee dropping to the 5-hole.

[flyingMoose]

And now announced by UH as 230pm.

[flyingMoose]

Caitlin (as noted) and Melancon are the starters.

Still no LiveStats via the Shocker site, but GT from the Cougars is here.

Three up, three down in the first for the Shocks. Likewise for the Coogs.

Ryleigh's leadoff single in the second is wiped out by a double play. Six in a row for Caitlin. No score after two.

Another three up, three down in the Shocker third. Cassidy to left for Bailee - an injury of some sort? A walk and an error by Mackenzie (throwing?) create a threat by Houston, but Caitlin escapes with two groundouts.

A nice start, at least for Caitlin, but will have to see if there is a nice finish when I return.

[1972Shocker]

One thing I have liked about Caitlyn's last two starts (the series finale against Tulsa and so far today) is that she is getting a lot of ground ball outs. 8 of the 9 outs in the first 3 innings today have been ground ball outs.

[1972Shocker]

The Shockers old nemesis the base on balls (sometimes caslled f'n walks) reared it's ugly head in the bottom of the 4th.

A walk, a solen base, a wild pitch and another walk put Houston runners on the corners with no outs. That did it for Caitlyn.

BaileyK came in to ptich and walked the 1st batter she faced then wild pitched a run home to make it 1-0 with runners on 2nd and 3rd and still no outs. That was it for BaileyK.

Mckenzie Webber than came on to pitch. She got out #1 on a line drive to SS with the runners holding. A single up the middle made it 2-0 with runners on the corners and 1 out. A walk loaded the bases again. A 5-2 fielder's choice got the force at home for the 2nd out with the bases still loaded. A walk forced in another run making it 3-0 before a 4-3 ground out endied the inning.

Let's see: 3 runs, 1 hit, 5 walks and and 2 wild pitches.

The Shocks made it 3-1 in the 5th on back-to-back 2-out doubles by Mckenzie Webber and Madison Perrigan. However, Houston trumped that with 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th. Guess what more walks. A 1-out walk and a 2-out walk gave Houston runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. The next batter reached on an infield single to 3B but a throwing error by MacKenzie Wright allowed both of the walks to come around and score. A 5-3 ground out ended the inning.

Houston 5 - Shocks 1 at the end of 5 despite Houston having only 2 hits (a ground single up the middle in the 4th and an infield single in the 5th).

Houston decides to try and repay the Shockers charity. An infield single and two walks load the bases for the Shocks in the 6th with no outs. Savannah Heebner, who pitched the complete game shutout in Game 1, is on to pitch for Houston.

Ryleigh Buck greeted Heebner with a bases clearing triple down the RF line and the Shocks putl to within 1 at 5-4.

Cassidy Kelsheimer grounds out 6-3 with Ryleigh holding at 3rd. Paige Luellen followed with another grounder to short but Ryleigh was safe at the plate on an obstruction call and the Shockers have tied the game at 5-all. Paige is on 1st with 1 out. Kaylee pinch running for Paige. Mckenzie Webber popped out to 2B. Madison Perrigan singled up the middle but Kaylee was put out at 2nd. The way it is described she advanced to second and then was put out at 2nd on a 5-8-6 play. I guess the base hit may have deflected off the 2nd baseman's glove and the CF caught Kaylee rounding the base to far and threw to the SS to get Kaylee trying to get back to 2nd (just guessing).

Morgan Palmer replaces BaileyL in LF. My guess is BaileyL will be ready to come in at the 1st sign of trouble. Mckenzie Webber starting the bottom of the 6th in the circle.

In the bottom of the 6th McKenzie got two quick outs on grounders to LaurieD at SS. Houston put a runner on 1st with a single up the middle. After falling behind the nexst batter 3-0 Mckenzie worked the count back to full and then got out of the inning with a ground out to Mackenzie at third.

BaileyL led off the Shocker 7th with a single to left. Mackenzie bunted her to 2nd and she took 3rd on a wild pitch. Asea delivered a sacrifice fly to LF to score Bailey and the Shocks play small ball to perfection with a bit of help on the wild pitch and they take a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the 7th.

4-5-6 hole hitters due up for Houston. Mckenzie Weber still pitching. Gives up a lead off single. Normally I would say bring BaileyL in here but she has been struggling lately so maybe you just see if the freshman can finish. Nope HCKB decides to go with experience and in comes BaileyL to try to close this out. Right decision I think. We'll see how it works out.

Not starting out good as a wild pitch advances the runner to 2nd. A sac bunt moves the runner to 3rd with 1 out. Bailey falls behind 2-0 in he count but then gets a ground ball out to Ryleigh at 1B with the runner holding at 3rd. The count goes to 3-2. The next 2 pitches are fouled off. On the 8th ptich the ball is hit............................................... .....5-3 ground out. Shocks win 6-5.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks really needed this win in a big way IMO. But not only did they get the win but the way the got the win is perhaps an added bonus. The Shocks pretty much handed Houston a big lead but had enough fight to come back and take advantage of Houston's charity to pick up a huge win. Has to perk up the neurons a bit I would think.

I will give my Player of the Game nod (won't that player be excited) to Ryleigh Buck. When Houston brought in their ace with the bases loaded and a 5-1 lead in the 6th Ryleigh promptly unloaded the bases with a triple. 1 out later she socred the trying run although on an obstruction call. We'll take it. Also Ryleigh had to feel good about fielding the ball cleanly with 1 out in the 7th and holding the tying run at 3rd.

Caitlyn pitched good for 3 innings. BaileyK was on a very short leash. McKenzie Webber gave up 4 hits and 4 walks in 3 innings but somehow only allowed 2 unearned runs and gets a win. And after a shaky start with a wild pitch BaileyL worked out of the 7th inning jam to preserve the lead and the win.

[ShockTalk]

The Shocks really needed this win in a big way IMO. But not only did they get the win but the way the got the win is perhaps an added bonus. The Shocks pretty much handed Houston a big lead but had enough fight to come back and take advantage of Houston's charity to pick up a huge win. Has to perk up the nuerons a bit I would think.

I will give my Player of the Game nod (won't that player be excited) to Ryleigh Buck. When Houston brought in their ace with the bases loaded and a 5-1 lead in the 6th Ryleigh promptly unloaded the bases with a triple. 1 out later she socred the trying run although on an obstruction call. We'll take it. Also Ryleigh had to feel good about fielding the ball cleanly with 1 out in the 7th and holding the tying run at 3rd.

Caitlyn pitched good for 3 innings. BaileyK was on a very short leash. McKenzie Webber gave up 4 hits and 4 walks in 3 innings but somehow only allowed 2 unearned runs and gets a win. And after a shaky start with a wild pitch BaileyL worked out of the 7th inning jam to preserve the lead and the win.

The Shocks really needed this win in a big way IMO.

(For emphasis)

[1972Shocker]

goShockers.com game report.

http://goshockers.com/news/2018/4/14/softball-shockers-rally-to-take-down-houston-6-5.aspx

[flyingMoose]

Game Three

GT from the Cougars is here.

Heebner has the start again for UH, and Caitlin has the start for the Shockers. A bit of a surprise, but given recent history, perhaps not.

In the first, Mackenzie walks, is moved along by a sac bunt and Laurie is hit by a pitch to get runners aboard. No runs though as two groundouts follow.

Caitlin starts off as the old Caitlin - hit batter on the first pitch and a wild pitch. Two groundouts are followed by two more walks to load the bases, but another groundout ends the inning.

The Shocks load the bases in the third on a single by Bailey, sac bunt by Mackenzie, walk to Asea and infield single (with two outs) by Ryleigh, but Bailee pops out.

The Coogs do score in their bottom half though. An leadoff infield single and a hit batter brings McKenzie on in relief of Caitlin. With one out, there is another hit batter to load the bases and a single that scores one. After a force at home, a fourth hit batter of the game scores one and a wild pitch scores another. Bailey comes in to relieve McKenzie and there is an error on a ground ball that scores two more. (Bailey came on before or after the ground ball error - GT skipped a batter so it is not clear.)

UH leads 5-0 after three on two hits, two walks and four hit batters. And an error by the Shocks.

Hmm. Now GT claims Bailey came in in the third and to start the fourth. The individual stats indicate that McKenzie finished the third, but ...

Does it matter? UH starts their fourth with a walk and the fifth hit batter of the game. With two outs, a Shocker error allows another run to make the score 6-0 after four.

With two outs in the fifth, Laurie has a solo homer to get the Shocks on the board.

UH 6-1 after five.

The Shockers score another in the sixth. After Bailee's leadoff double, Madison scores her with a one-out single.

On to the seventh where Mackenzie leads off with a solo homer of her own. With two outs, Ryleigh and Bailee single to keep hopes alive. Paige reaches first to load the bases when the first baseman drops the throw of her ground ball, but Madison flies out to end the game.


Shockers 3-6 Houston

Houston has only two hits, but uses five walks and five hit batters to generate their offense.

Shocker pitching continues to be the bane of this team.

Laurie and Mackenzie have solo homers. Bailee has a single and double, and Ryleigh has two singles.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks did get the go ahead run to the plate in the 7th but could not come up with Madison at the plate with the bases loaded. Madison flied out to CF to end the game.

The big problem seems to me to the pitching and the defense are just not as sharp as they need to be. The Shocks need to take a scalpel to those areas and cut out a some of the free passes and some of the errors. 5 walks and 5 hit by pitches today plus 2 Shocker errors. And our errors usually seem to come at bad times. We knew coming into the season that our pitching could be a bit iffy. And lately it certainly has been that.

Bailey Klitzke only pitched 2 innings + 1 batter + 1 wild pitch this weekend. Injury or doghouse?