Softball Completes Tulsa Invitational Sweep on Sunday

Sunday, March 6

Collins Family Complex

2 p.m.

Tulsa

15-4

Lamar

10-8

Lamar

Tulsa

Photo by: Dave Crenshaw

Softball Completes Tulsa Invitational Sweep on Sunday

3/6/2016 8:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Eric Hollier

TU vs Iowa Box Score | TU vs Lamar Box Score | Highlights

TULSA, Okla. – Sophomore Shelby Estocado totaled four RBI and senior Caitlin Sill pitched a four-hit shutout to lead the University of Tulsa softball team to a 9-7 win over Iowa and a 9-0 (5 inn.) win over Lamar Sunday afternoon in the Tulsa Invitational at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

With Sunday's victories, the Golden Hurricane (15-4) capped a perfect 4-0 weekend in its first home action of the season. TU also defeated Iowa, 2-1, and Lamar 14-2 (5 inn.) on Saturday.

In both games on Sunday, the Hurricane did all of its damage in the first three frames, putting up seven runs in the third inning of each game.

Estocado went 3-for-5 and hit two home runs while freshmen Morgan Neal and Julia Hollingsworth knocked their first career home runs. Neal, Hollingsworth, and seniors Jodi Edmiston and Jocelyn Sheffield each drove in two runs on the day. Estocado hit three homers over the weekend, and now has five on the season.

Sill (7-1) shut out Lamar and freshman Ellie Reaves (3-0) defeated Iowa to earn the victories in the circle for TU. Sophomore Emily Watson picked up her first save of the year with two scoreless innings against Iowa.

"We challenged the team to go out and play four solid ballgames and take care of business, and I feel like that's just what we did," Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. "We got good pitching in the games, and we had some pretty solid defense this weekend as well. It's nice to come out and put up big numbers and help relax your pitchers. We hit some balls hard today."

Sill (7-1) tossed a complete game against Lamar (10-7), posting two strikeouts and a walk in five innings. Estocado hit a two-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning when the Hurricane broke it open. Her shot to left landed on 6^th Street, several feet to the right of her homer in the morning game against Iowa. The next batter, the designated player Hollingsworth, drove a 2-1 pitch over the left center field fence, bringing the lead to 5-0.

Center fielder Jodi Edmiston drew a walk and moved around to score on Neal's base hit. Sheffield, who had reached on an infield single, scored on the play when the ball kicked away from the left fielder. Senior catcher Catherine Horner doubled to right center, scoring junior third baseman Maggie Withee, and Neal scored when the ball got away from the center fielder. Neal's run made the score 9-0.

The Hurricane got on the board with a run in each of the first two innings. Withee drew a leadoff walk in the first, stole second, and crossed the plate on a throwing error by the first baseman following a groundout. In the second, Edmiston bunted for a single, stole second, and scored on Sheffield's base hit up the middle. Edmiston also stole second in the third inning, increasing her total to three for the season.

Lamar put runners on first and second with no outs in the second inning, but Sill fielded a grounder and cut the runner off at third base. Neal then caught consecutive line drives to end the inning, going to the ground to snag the first one. In the fourth inning, the Cardinals had runners at first and second with two outs, but Edmiston fielded a groundball base hit in center field, and threw out the runner at the plate with a perfect throw to Horner.

"Shelby Estocado is seeing the ball really well, hitting the ball on the barrel a lot. Morgan Neal had some good swings today and hit a home run. Julia Hollingsworth hit the ball hard this weekend, and brings a nice dynamic to the lineup," Bargfeldt said. "The same people weren't doing it every game, and that means we're coming together as a team, picking each other up, and having patient at bats throughout the lineup."

Tulsa's scoring pattern was a carbon copy of its morning game against Iowa. The Hurricane scored a run in each of the first two innings, then exploded for seven runs in the third.

Second baseman Morgan Neal's first career home run put Tulsa on the board in the first inning. In the second inning, Estocado added another homer over the left field fence, her fourth of the season and second of the weekend.

The Hurricane scored seven runs on only three hits in the third inning. Sheffield started it with a walk, and moved to second on an illegal pitch. Maggie Withee also drew a walk, and an illegal pitch advanced the runners to second and third.

Neal lined out to centerfield and Sheffield was caught trying to take home on the play. Maddie Withee then followed with a single, and Horner was walked on to load the bases. Estacado and Hollingsworth then drew back-to-back walks, plating Maggie and Maddie Withee.

Edmiston then singled home two runs, and senior right fielder Kaitlin Allen walked to load the bases again. Sheffield then singled to left to score Hollingsworth, and an error by the left fielder allowed Edmiston and Allen to cross the plate. Those three runs made the score 9-0.

The Hawkeyes got on the board with two runs in the fourth inning. Right fielder Allie Wood singled up the middle to bring in the first run, and a Tulsa error allowed the second.

Iowa then scored five runs on six hits in the fifth inning to pull within 9-7. Center fielder Sammi Gyerman hit a two run double, and freshman designated player Mallory Kilian hit a three-run home run.

Reaves struck out four batters over five frames. Watson entered in relief to begin the sixth inning, and did not allow a hit. The duo did not allow a walk in the ballgame. The Hurricane totaled seven hits and drew seven walks, while the Hawkeyes tallied 11 hits.

The Golden Hurricane plays host to No. 13 Oklahoma at 5 p.m. Wednesday 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 9, Iowa 7 (Mar 06, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Iowa................ 000 250 0 - 7 11 1      (5-13)
Tulsa............... 117 000 X - 9 7 1      (14-4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Iowa - Yoways, Ashley; Starkenburg, Shayla(3); Riding, Erin(3) and Hoffman, Holly.
Tulsa - REAVES, Ellie; WATSON, Emily(6) and HORNER, Catherine.
Win-REAVES, Ellie(3-0) Save-WATSON, Emily(1) Loss-Yoways, Ashley(0-1) T-2:10 A-0
HR IOWA - Kilian, Mallory (1).
HR TLS - NEAL, Morgan (1); ESTOCADO, Shelby (4).
Weather: 58 Ptly Cloudy, Wind S @ 16mph
Yoways faced 3 batters in the 3rd.

Tulsa 9, Lamar 0 (Mar 06, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamar............... 000 00 - 0 4 3      (10-8)
Tulsa............... 117 0X - 9 10 1      (15-4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Lamar - Dannelley, Lauren; Voluntad, Julia(3); Cisneros, Amie(4) and Baca, Brynn.
Tulsa - SILL, Caitlin and HORNER, Catherine.
Win-SILL, Caitlin(7-1) Loss-Dannelley, Lauren(1-3) T-1:23 A-458
HR TLS - ESTOCADO, Shelby (5); HOLLINGSWORTH, Julia (1).
Weather: 74 Cloudy, Wind S @ 24 mph
Dannelley, L faced 3 batters in the 3rd.