Softball Wins Two Games on First Day of Tulsa Invitational

Saturday, March 5

Collins Family Complex

Noon

Tulsa

12-4

Iowa

4-12

Iowa

Tulsa

Softball Wins Two Games on First Day of Tulsa Invitational

3/5/2016 9:47:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Eric Hollier

Tulsa vs Iowa Box Score | Tulsa vs Lamar Box Score

TULSA, Okla. – Sophomore shortstop Shelby Estacado totaled five hits and three runs and junior third baseman Maggie Withee recorded three hits and four runs to lead Tulsa to two wins Saturday at the Tulsa Invitational. The Golden Hurricane handed Iowa a 2-1 loss, and had a 14-2 win over Lamar in five innings at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

In the opener against the Hawkeyes, Tulsa (13-4) scored on a home run in the second inning to tie the game, and took the lead on a run in the sixth to win their home opener against Iowa (5-12). Against Lamar (10-6), three Tulsa players each tallied three RBI to lead the Tulsa bats to a run-rule victory.

"I think we had several close games like that (Iowa game), and we've been able to come out and get a clutch hit or pitch when we needed it," Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. "We played really good defense in the Iowa game, which is what we needed. Against Lamar, it was just huge getting out to a big run in the first inning. I think that was pretty important, because I think both pitchers from both teams struggled to find the strike zone."

Iowa took the lead first when they scored their only run in the second inning on a hard-hit grounder past Tulsa's pitcher from shortstop Katy Taylor, that brought home Allie Wood. The next batter grounded out to the shortstop, leaving two runners on base to minimize the damage.

Sophomore shortstop Shelby Estocado responded in the bottom of the inning with a home run over the centerfield wall to tie the game. Estocado went 2-3 against Iowa and her game-tying home run was her third of the season.

Freshman second baseman Morgan Neal had the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the fifth inning, bringing home the runner, Maggie Withee, on a hard line drive over the head of the shortstop Taylor.

The Golden Hurricane kept Iowa scoreless for the rest of the game, relying on sound defense and great pitching. Caitlin Sill gave up just one run on five Iowa hits, leading to her sixth win of the season.

In Tulsa's second game of the day, the Golden Hurricane bats came alive. Tulsa scored seven runs on seven hits in the first inning against Lamar.

Maggie Withee started off the inning with a single. Morgan Neal hit a line drive into right field that was caught, but an illegal pitch was called, which brought her back to the plate and advanced Withee to second. Neal grounded out, and another illegal pitch brought Maggie Withee home.

Maddie Withee hit another single, and then Horner knocked a hard grounder deep into center for a triple and sending Withee home. Estocado followed with another RBI to bring the score to 3-0. A third illegal pitch sent Estocado to second, and a passed ball advanced her to third. Julia Hollingsworth followed with a single to send Estocado home. A well-placed pop-up by Brittany Walker sent two more runners come home to bring the score to 6-0. Jocelyn Sheffield grounded out on a fielder's choice for the second out.

Tulsa came back to the top of the lineup with Maggie Withee, who hit a short pop up that fell just short of the shortstop's glove and Walker came home for another Tulsa run. Neal would ground out to first, but another illegal pitch call advanced the runner and reset the count. Neal was walked to first, but Maddie Withee hit back to the pitcher to end the inning.

In the third inning, Lamar first baseman Ashley McDowell put the Cardinals on the board with a home run over the centerfield fence.

Junior left fielder Maddie Withee came back with her own home run in the bottom of the third to bring in two runners, and Hollingsworth added another RBI with a double to the centerfield wall to make the score 11-1.

Senior Catherine Horner, who moved from catcher to first base to start the 4^th inning, recorded all three outs at first base, including a line drive unassisted double play. Then at the plate, Horner hit an RBI line drive up the middle to bring in two runs. Hollingsworth added another RBI with a double up the middle and Tulsa led 14-1 at the end of four innings.

Sophomore pitcher Lexi Blevins came in for the fifth inning and secured the Tulsa victory over Lamar. Emily Watson pitched four innings and picked up her fifth win of the season.

The Golden Hurricane will face both teams again on Sunday, facing off against Iowa at 10 a.m., and Lamar at 2 p.m.

Tulsa 2, Iowa 1 (Mar 05, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla.)?
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?Iowa................ 010 000 0 - 1 5 1      (4-12)?
Tulsa............... 010 010 X - 2 4 0      (12-4)?
----------------------------------------------------------------------?
Pitchers: Iowa - Wiegand, Elizabeth and Schmiederer, Angela.
Tulsa - SILL, Caitlin and? HORNER, Catherine.?
Win-SILL, Caitlin(6-1) Loss-Wiegand, Elizabeth(3-3)
T-1:39 A-749?
HR TLS - ESTOCADO, Shelby (3).?
Weather: 67 sunny wind ENE @ 7mph

Tulsa 14, Lamar 2 (Mar 05, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla.)
?----------------------------------------------------------------------
?Lamar............... 001 01 - 2 5 1      (10-6)
?Tulsa............... 704 3X - 14 14 0      (13-4)?
----------------------------------------------------------------------?
Pitchers: Lamar - Luna, Ciara; Dannelley, Lauren(2); Voluntad, Julia(4) and Baca, Brynn.?
Tulsa - WATSON, Emily; BLEVINS, Lexi(5) and HORNER, Catherine; SPELL, Rylie.?
Win-WATSON, Emily(5-3) Loss-Luna, Ciara(5-2)
T-2:00 A-749?
HR LU - McDowell, Ashley.?
HR TLS - WITHEE, Maddie.