Feb. 6, 2004

Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas...The University of Texas at Arlington softball squad opened the 2004 season Friday afternoon with a 5-2 loss to Houston on the first day of the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational in Austin.

The Cougars scored early after Jenilee Skender hit a RBI single in the first inning to put Houston up 1-0, and force UTA to come from behind.

The Lady Mavs answered in the bottom half of the frame after a Jenna Fortune single and an Autumun Petrino double tied the game at one run apiece.

Houston pushed ahead in the third inning with a sacrifice fly from Skender. The Cougars offense continued as it added two more runs in the top of the fifth. A Kim Nesloney double through the left side put the Cougars ahead by four runs heading into the bottom of the sixth.

UTA was unable to come up with a run in the sixth, but managed to hold the Cougars scoreless in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back errors by the Houston defense put runners at first and second for the Lady Mavs to open the bottom of the frame. Petrino singled up the middle to send Kwasnick across the plate, but UTA couldn't scrape together enough as Beverly Rowan struck out to end the inning.

Freshman Lauren Hebert tossed 7.0 innings with one strike out in her collegiate debut. Houston's Carla Kennimer earned the win for the Cougars after tossing 4.1 innings and striking out two.

The Lady Mavs return to action at 6 p.m. this evening to face host Texas.