Softball Takes Series from Houston with 8-3 Win Saturday

Saturday, March 26

Houston, Texas

Noon

Tulsa

23-6, 0

Houston

15-15, 0

Tulsa

Houston

Softball Takes Series from Houston with 8-3 Win Saturday

3/26/2016 5:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Eric Hollier

Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas – Maddie Withee drove in four runs and Kaitlin Allen tallied three RBI to lead the Tulsa softball team to an 8-3 series-clinching win at Houston Saturday afternoon at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Withee launched a three-run home run in the third inning to break a 2-2 tie, and the Golden Hurricane never looked back on its way to winning the American Athletic Conference-opening series. TU improved to 23-6 overall and 2-1 in league play, and won a series at Houston for the first time. The Cougars fell to 15-15 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

Allen hit a two-run single in the second inning to put the Hurricane on top, 2-0. Houston cut Tulsa's 5-2 lead to 5-3 with a run in the fourth stanza, but Tulsa picked up an insurance run in the top of the sixth, and added two more runs in the seventh inning.

Senior Caitlin Sill (13-1) pitched 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, and earned her 13^th victory of the season. Sophomore Emily Watson tossed the final three frames, retiring all nine batters she faced, with four strikeouts, to pick up her second save of the year.

"It was important to get the win today. We had a really nice bounce back effort," Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. "I felt like we were more aggressive today, and put good swings on pitches. Kat Allen's hit was big because it put us on the board first. After they tied it 2-2, Maddie came right back hit a three-run homer. Those were two big clutch hits in the game. They got the bulk of the RBI, so it was good to see them come through in those situations, and obviously we had quite a few players that got on base for them."

Tulsa got the second inning started with a single by sophomore shortstop Shelby Estocado, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs in the game. Senior center fielder Jodi Edmiston reached on an error with two outs, and Allen followed with a two-run single to left center.

Houston tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the second, when second baseman Kaylin Crumpton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and center fielder Katie St. Pierre singled to left, scoring the second run.

The Hurricane responded with a three-run top of the third on Maddie Withee's three-run homer, her fourth of the season. The shot brought home freshman second baseman Morgan Neal, who hit a one-out single, and Estocado, who drew a two-out walk.

Sill retired the Cougars in order in the first and third frames, but UH cut the lead to 5-3 in the fourth inning on a solo home run to center field by catcher Breelyn Thames.

Tulsa extended the lead to 6-3 in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Allen that plated Maddie Withee. Withee was 2-for-3 in the game and also scored two runs. Junior third baseman Maggie Withee led off the seventh with a single to left field, and Estocado singled to left with two outs. Maddie Withee then doubled home Maggie, and Estocado scored when Julia Hollingsworth reached on an error, making the score 8-3.

"Sill probably struggled with her pinpoint control a little bit today, but she really fought through and got us out of the fourth inning with the 5-3 lead when they had bases loaded. Emily came in and through lights out," Bargfeldt said. "We were just shy of picking up the third win too, but you have to move on, and I thought the team did a great job of moving on after yesterday."

The Golden Hurricane travels to Wichita State for a midweek game at 6 p.m. Wednesday, before returning home for its home conference-opening series against East Carolina Friday through Sunday at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

Follow Tulsa Softball on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaSoftball and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TulsaWSoftball. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TulsaHurricane.

Tulsa 8, Houston 3 (Mar 26, 2016 at Houston, Texas)
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Tulsa............... 023 001 2 - 8 9 0 (23-6, 2-1)
Houston............. 020 100 0 - 3 5 4 (15-15, 1-2)
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Pitchers: Tulsa - SILL, Caitlin; WATSON, Emily(5) and HORNER, Catherine. Houston - MILLER, S.;
SHRUM, J.(3); BELL, P.(6) and THAMES, B..
Win-SILL, Caitlin(13-1) Save-WATSON, Emily(2) Loss-MILLER, S.(4-2) T-2:14 A-290
HR TLS - WITHEE, Maddie (4).
HR HOU - THAMES, B. (1).
Weather: 66 degrees, partly cloudy
SHRUM, J. faced 2 batters in the 6th.