Tulsa
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
UTEP
Softball Sweeps UTEP in Final Road Series of Season
5/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May. 1, 2005
El Paso, Texas - The University of Tulsa softball team utilized a season-high 16 hits against UTEP to sweep its second consecutive season sweep of the Miners with an 11-1 victory at Helen of Troy Stadium. TU tied a school record for doubles in a single contest with five on Sunday. Tulsa has posted five doubles four other times in the program's 11-year history, however the last time was against Pittsburg State on April 23, 2002. The run-rule victory was the first of the season for Tulsa as well.
The Hurricane scored in the first inning in both games on Saturday, Sunday was no different. Senior Stephanie Sliepen recorded her third home run of the season, in the opening stanza. It was the 27th time this season that Tulsa scored first and the 14th time TU scored in the first. Tulsa is 21-6 and 12-2, respectively, in those games.
Freshman Lindsey Tower kept TU rolling by opening the second inning with her 11th double of the year. Following a single by sophomore Lindsay Galloway, freshman Sara Dyer recorded TU's third consecutive hit of the inning to score Tower. Galloway would score on a sac fly by junior Kelly Miller.
Junior hurler Julie Fennell, fresh off a 16 strikeout performance in the Saturday's nightcap, opened Sunday's game by striking out the first two batters. Her only mistake was a pitch to UTEP's Simone Holland, who hit her second home run in as many games, in the second inning.
Tulsa scored three runs in the third inning. Senior Stacey Walkingstick was hit by a pitch to start the inning. She then posted her 22nd stolen base of the season by stealing second. Torres was also hit by a pitch. Tower and Galloway again recorded back-to-back hits to load the bases for the second straight inning. Walkingstick scored on Tower's single. Following a pitching change, Miller hit a two-run single to left field to score Torres and Tower.
The Hurricane did not score in the fourth, even after a lead off double by sophomore Angela Osbon. Torres led off the fifth inning with a double as well. She would score after consecutive groundouts by Tower and Galloway.
Junior Julie Shafer capped off the TU run with the Hurricane's third consecutive lead-off double. She would score on a double by Walkingstick. Sliepen posted TU's third hit of the stanza with an infield single. Both would score on an error made by the UTEP right fielder off the bat of Torres. Torres would score on a groundout by junior LeeAnne Pepper.
With a strikeout to open the bottom of the sixth inning, Fennell helped set TU history for the second day in a row. The strikeout gave the Hurricane 317 thrown strikeouts on the season breaking the last season's school record of 316.
Tulsa returns to the friendly confines of the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex for the final six games of the season. The Hurricane will host Louisiana Tech on May 6-7, with a single game on Friday at 7 p.m. The series will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 4 p.m.
