Softball Clinches Series with 7-2 Win over UConn

Saturday, May 7

Collins Family Complex

3 p.m.

Tulsa

31-18, 0

UConn

19-30, 0

UConn

Tulsa

Softball Clinches Series with 7-2 Win over UConn

5/7/2016 6:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Eric Hollier

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. – In her first career start, sophomore Lexi Blevins pitched a complete game and earned her first career victory to lead the Tulsa softball team to a 7-2 win over UConn Saturday afternoon in Game 2 of its American Athletic Conference series at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

Senior Catherine Horner, junior Maddie Withee and sophomore Shelby Estocado all tallied three hits for the Golden Hurricane (31-18, 8-9 American), which totaled 15 hits in the game. Estocado and freshman first baseman Tori Stafford drove in two runs apiece. In her longest career outing, Blevins struck out six batters, allowed seven hits and walked just one in seven innings, pitching TU to the series-clinching win.

The series finale will begin at noon Sunday. The Hurricane will honor its seniors in a postgame ceremony, and senior Jocelyn Sheffield will sing the national anthem prior to the game. For Mother's Day, all mothers will receive free admission to the game.

Tulsa scored a run in the first inning on Estocado's RBI single that plated Maggie Withee. UConn tied the score with a solo home run by catcher Jacklyn Dubois in the top of the second, but Horner, who went through TU graduation Saturday morning, homered in the bottom of the third to give the Hurricane the 2-1 lead. The shot was her first of the season, and the 11^th of her career.

The Hurricane plated four runs in the third, extending its lead to 5-1. After a pair of singles by Estocado and Maddie Withee, senior right fielder Kaitlin Allen and Stafford hit back-to-back RBI doubles. Allen laced a double to the fence in left center, scoring Estocado, and Stafford drove a hit to the fence in left, plating both Withee and Allen.

UConn cut the lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth when Dominique Pinto hit a pinch-hit home run to left center. Tulsa answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend its lead to 7-2. Estocado doubled down the left field line, scoring freshman designated player Julia Hollingsworth. Following a base hit by Maddie Withee, freshman second baseman Morgan Neal singled home Estocado.

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 7, UConn 2 (May 07, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla.)
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UConn............... 010 100 0 - 2 7 0 (19-30, 4-11)
Tulsa............... 104 200 X - 7 15 0 (31-18, 8-9)
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Pitchers: UConn - ECKERT, Chelsea; DOTY, Kayla(3); STOCKLEY, Jill(4) and DUBOIS, Jacklyn.
Tulsa - BLEVINS, Lexi and HORNER, Catherine.
Win-BLEVINS, Lexi(1-0) Loss-ECKERT, Chelsea(6-11) T-1:59 A-244
HR UCONN - PINTO, Dominique (4); DUBOIS, Jacklyn (2).
HR TLS - HORNER, Catherine (1).
Weather: 84 Ptly Cloudy, Wind SSW@16mph