Softball Drops Finale at UCF, 3-1

Sunday, April 10

Orlando, Fla.

11 a.m.

Tulsa

27-10, 5-4

UCF

27-14, 4-0

Tulsa

UCF

Softball Drops Finale at UCF, 3-1

4/10/2016 5:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Eric Hollier

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Tulsa softball team fell at UCF, 3-1, Sunday afternoon in the finale of its three-game American Athletic Conference series at the UCF Softball Complex.

The Golden Hurricane (27-10, 5-4 American) got on the board first with a run in the opening frame, but the Knights (27-14, 4-0 American) tied it with a run in the bottom of the first, then scored single runs in the third and fifth innings.

Third baseman Maggie Withee went 3-for-4, and center fielder Jodi Edmiston hit an RBI single to score catcher Catherine Horner in the first inning. Caitlin Sill (15-3) pitched 4.0 innings and took the loss for TU. Manami Calixto (7-0) pitched 3.2 innings in relief and earned the win for UCF.

"We did not play very well, and lost confidence quickly," Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. "The fact that we didn't play very well gives us some hope that we can get back to where we've been most of the season and be confident in our hitting, our fielding and our pitching. Sometimes good team expose your weaknesses. This weekend let us know things that we have to do better to compete for a conference championship."

Horner reached base on a one-out walk in the top of the first, and scored three batters later on Edmiston's RBI single to the pitcher. Tulsa left the bases loaded in the inning. In the fifth, the Hurricane had runners on after first baseman Jocelyn Sheffield was hit by a pitch and Withee bunted for a base hit. TU was unable to push another run across, however, after pinch runner Lauren Lomax was cut off at the plate on a fielder's choice, and a fly out ended the inning.

UCF scored in the bottom of the first when third baseman Courtney Rotton singled, and moved around to score on a wild pitch. Rotton hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning, then hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to make the score 3-1.

Tulsa was swept in a three-game series for the first time since 2008 at UCF. The Hurricane returns to action quickly, however, as it plays host to Arkansas at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Collins Family Softball Complex. TU then travels to Missouri State Wednesday for a 5 p.m. contest.

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.

UCF 3, Tulsa 1 (Apr 10, 2016 at Orlando, Fla.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tulsa............... 100 000 0 - 1 5 0 (27-10, 5-4 aac)
UCF................. 101 010 X - 3 8 0 (27-14, 4-0 aac)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Tulsa - SILL, Caitlin; WATSON, Emily(5) and HORNER, Catherine. UCF - HUHN, M.;
CALIXTO, M.(2); UJVARI, Ja.(5) and McCLOSKEY.
Win-CALIXTO, M.(7-0) Save-UJVARI, Ja.(5) Loss-SILL, Caitlin(15-3) T-1:51 A-246
HR UCF - ROTTON, C..
Weather: Sunny, breezy, 77 degrees