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Tulsa
Wichita State (Embassy Suites-Tulsa Invitational)
Come-back Falls Short for Hurricane Softball
3/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 6, 2005
Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa softball team concluded the Embassy Suites-Tulsa Invitational with an extra-inning loss to Wichita State, 4-2 in eight innings. The Shockers even the overall series between the former Missouri Valley Conference rivals at 11-11. WSU improves to 9-6 overall after winning three of its five games, while TU now stands at 11-14 on the season after winning a pair of contests at the tournament.
Wichita State opened the scoring with a single run in the first inning. Centerfielder Erin Peters led off the game with a walk. She then stole second and advanced to third as the ball caromed off a player's leg into left field. Peters then scored on a suicide-squeeze attempt by Ashley Lynn, sliding around the tag of TU's Kelly Miller.
The scored remained 1-0 despite both teams leaving runners on base. Tulsa was able to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman Sara Dyer led off the frame with a double to center field. Senior Holly Reynolds pinch ran for Dyer. She then advanced to third on a double by fellow senior Stephanie Sliepen to give TU a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs.
Following a pitching change by the Shockers, sophomore Lindsay Galloway singled to left center to score Reynolds. Galloway was thrown out at second base on the play for the first out of the inning. The Hurricane was not able to score the winning run from third as the final two batters of the inning struck out.
In the extra frame, Lynn gave WSU a two-run cushion with a two-run homerun to center field with a 1-2 count. The Shockers then drew a walk by Stephanie De La Riva, who was sacrificed to second. Pinch hitter Tawyna Guthrie was allowed to re-enter the contest after pinch hitting for the Shockers' Brooke Usher in the top of the sixth inning. She promptly singled to left field to score De La Riva. Guthrie was then thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double.
Tulsa tried to mount a come-back in the bottom of the inning. Miller was placed at second to open the stanza and was sacrificed to third by Julie Shafer. She then scored on a single by Lindsey Tower. However, the Hurricane were unable to score again as it marked the 15th time this season TU was involved in a contest that came down to the last at-bat of the game.
TU's Julie Shafer and Linsay Galloway were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts on the weekend. North Texas won the tournament with a 4-1 record after defeating Wisconsin 3-1 to start the day. Oklahoma State led a trio of teams at 3-2 after its 8-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in the day's second game. Wisconsin also finished the tournament with a 3-2 record.
