Originally published Monday, May 19, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Houston ends UW's NCAA softball season
Haley Valis hit a solo home run to lead No. 11 Houston to a 2-1 victory over No. 24 Washington in the championship game of the NCAA softball...
From team reports
HOUSTON — Haley Valis hit a solo home run to lead No. 11 Houston to a 2-1 victory over No. 24 Washington in the championship game of the NCAA softball Houston Regional on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars advance to an NCAA Super Regional for the first time in school history.
Washington finishes its season at 30-25-1, picking up 30 wins for the 15th consecutive season.
Angel Shamblin (35-3) went the distance for Houston, giving up just two hits, one earned run and three walks while striking out seven.
Valis put the Cougars on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with a solo shot to center field with one out and the count full.
The Huskies had a chance to break through in the sixth inning after Amanda Fleischman led off with a bloop double to left field. But she was stranded there after Shamblin got three consecutive outs.
Houston (53-9) extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Katie Bush reached on a one-out single and stole second. Aleah Macon, who had come on to pitch for the Huskies, then walked three consecutive batters to bring in Bush.
Caitlin Noble, who started and pitched the first five innings, replaced Macon and induced a ground out and strikeout to keep the score at 2-0.
Washington finally cut into Houston's lead in the seventh inning on Morgan Stuart's solo home run to center field.
Shamblin got back-to-back ground outs to end the game.
Noble, the Huskies' only senior, pitched well enough to win for Washington, scattering three hits over 5-2/3 innings. She struck out seven and didn't allow a walk but fell to 13-9 in her final game for the Huskies.
Her seven strikeouts moved her career total to 757, which moved her up one spot to No. 4 all-time at UW.
The Huskies are 16-9 in the postseason under coach Heather Tarr.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Washington women recruits who left have no regrets
Washington men need to cure road woes this week
Jerry Brewer: Huskies softball pitcher Danielle Lawrie: A star on the field, not in her mind
Quincy Pondexter earns fourth Pac-10 Player of Week honor
Cal starts slow, but rallies to top UCLA 72-58 | Pac-10 men's basketball

shopping
events for Wednesday, Feb. 10
- Winter Blowout Sale at Hip Zephyr
- David Lawrence Moving Sale
- Hydrotherapy and Spa Services at Banya 5
- Girl Power Hour
editors' picks
- Pioneer Square shopping
- Independent bookstores
- Phinney Ridge & Greenwood shopping
- Local jewelry designers
- Alaska Air dropping Jones Soda beverages, going back to Coca-Cola
- Man found shot dead in pickup truck in Seattle
- Seattle is first U.S. stop for Picasso exhibit
- Husky Football Blog | Pac-10 expansion to get consideration over next year
- State Senate votes to clear way for tax increases
- Idol Confessions | "American Idol" hopeful from Seattle didn't make it to Hollywood afterall
- Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
- Nicole Brodeur | Chrisceda Clemmons' house wasn't the only casualty
- Brier Dudley's Blog | Google rolls its own Facebook & Twitter with Gmail "Buzz"
- Sex, drug rumors swirl about N.Y. Gov. Paterson
- Republicans may be no-shows at health-plan summit
278 - Pac-10 expansion to get consideration over next year
249 - State Senate votes to clear way for tax increases
248 - Lee undergoes foot surgery
231 - Obama: GOP and Dems together can spur job growth
210 - Fort Lewis soldier charged with abusing 4-year-old, holding her head in water
193 - Rivals names Martin one of Pac-10's best recruiters
143 - Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
127 - Bus-tunnel attack while guards watched prompts review of Metro security
118 - White House mocks Sarah Palin from podium
91
- Seattle is first U.S. stop for Picasso exhibit
- Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
- 747-8 soars smoothly on first outing
- Wine Adviser | Oregon's quality pinots join the bargain ranks
- Alaska Air dropping Jones Soda beverages, going back to Coca-Cola
- Snap out of your photo funk: How to make sense of all those piles of images
- How clean are those pre-washed salad greens?
- Answers to biggest Olympic TV questions
- Brier Dudley's Blog | Google rolls its own Facebook & Twitter with Gmail "Buzz"
- Jerry Brewer | Huskies softball pitcher Danielle Lawrie: A star on the field, not in her mind

