Tulsa
Houston (C-USA)
Golden Hurricane Defeats Houston, 3-2
3/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 19, 2006
Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa remained undefeated in Conference USA play on Sunday, but lost another game to Mother Nature. TU scored three times in the first inning then held on for a 3-2 win over the Cougars. With rain becoming more pronounced, the second game was halted in the top of the second inning.
Houston opened the first game by loading the bases. Senior Maren Genow was able to pitch out of the inning by striking out the final batter of the stanza. Freshman Brooke Smart led off TU's have inning with by drawing a walk, then advanced to second on a sacrifice by senior Julie Shafer. Sophomore Sara Dyer then earned a two-out walk to give the Golden Hurricane a pair of base runners. Junior Kelli McGlasson then doubled to leftfield to score Smart and Dyer. McGlasson would score on a single through the left side by freshman Jessica Barr.
The Cougars (20-11) cut into the lead in the second as Brandi Clark beat out an infield single with one down. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, she would score on a single down the left field line by Katie Bush.
The score would remain at 3-1 for the next three and half innings, as neither team could mount a threat. In the top of the sixth, two-sport athlete Jaci Gonzalez pinch hit for Laura Durham. Gonzalez proceeded to hit her first home run of the season, cutting the TU lead to 3-2. Again Genow ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts to end the rally.
Both teams went down in order to end the game. Genow earned her 10th victory of the season by striking out five Cougars in her ninth complete game of the season. Shamblin, the reigning C-USA Pitcher of the Week, fell to 8-5 on the year.
McGlasson and Barr recorded TU's only hits in the contest, however Smart walked all three times she came to the plate. Tulsa improves to 17-9 on the season, 4-0 in C-USA play.
Soggy conditions hampered the start of the second game, as a fresh ball was needed after each pitch. During the third batter's plate appearance, the umpires convened and decided to delay the game and to see if the rain would pass. After a 31-minute delay, it was decided that the game needed to be halted. Both teams will finish the contest beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday, weather permitting.
