Tulsa
Missouri State
Golden Hurricane wins Holiday Inn Select Tulsa Festival
2/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 25, 2007
EIU Box Score | MSU Box Score
Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa softball team split a pair of games on Sunday, but still earned the team title at the Holiday Inn Select-Tulsa Festival with a 4-1 record for the tournament. TU dropped a 6-4 loss to Eastern Illinois on Sunday afternoon, before concluding the tournament with a 6-5 victory over Missouri State.
Sophomore Stephanie Chomicki went 4-for-4 against EIU, including a pair of doubles. Four Hurricane hitters posted a pair of hits against Missouri State, including sophomore Brooke Smart, freshman Lauren Lindsay, junior Sara Dyer and freshman Vanessa Vice.
The Hurricane also got timely pitching performances from senior Julie Fennell and freshman Jackie Lawrence on the weekend. Fennell did not allow a run in three and a third innings of relief against EIU, with Lawrence striking out 11 MSU batters.
Against the Panthers, TU found itself in a hole early. EIU scored two in the first inning and two more in the third inning for a 4-0 lead. The Hurricane stranded four baserunners, three in scoring position, before finally scoring in the bottom of the third. Chomicki opened the inning with a double, followed by an infield single by Lindsay. Dyer hit her fourth home run of the season, to make the score 4-3.
The Panthers seized control with two more runs in the fourth inning on three doubles, for a 6-3 advantage. Tulsa tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth, getting two baserunners on with only one out after a double and a walk. However a baserunning error and a strikeout took the Hurricane out of the inning.
The bottom of the seventh started promising for the TU as well. Chomicki reached on an infield single, but was then doubled off first when the EIU caught a line drive off the bat of Lindsay. Dyer hit a two-out double, followed by a walk from senior Kelli McGlasson. Back-to-back singles from freshman Christian Timmons and junior Lindsay Tower scored Dyer and loaded the bases for TU.
In its final game of the day, TU outhit its opponent for the sixth straight contest. Tulsa scored first this game, with a pair in the third. Smart reached on an infield single with one out, then Lindsay posted a two-out single. Both runners scored on Dyer's first triple of the season.
Lawrence kept the Bears at Bay through the first four innings, not allowing a hit. MSU only had three baserunners, thanks to a walk, a fielding error and a fielder's choice. The Bears got their first hit in the fifth inning after recording its second walk of the contest. After a sacrifice bunt advanced both runners to scoring position, Lawrence got two more strikeouts to thwart the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, TU added to its lead with two more runs. Smart reached on an fielding error by the leftfielder. She then scored on a two-out double by Lindsay. A single through the left side by Dyer scored Lindsay for a 4-0 TU lead.
The sixth inning is when the wheels appeared to fall off for the Hurricane. Missouri State scored three runs in the sixth, then tied the score at 4-4 with a run in the top of the seventh. The final two runs were scored on TU errors.
After TU went down in order in the seventh, the game went into extra innings. Playing with the International tiebreaker, a runner was placed at second to start each half inning. Missouri State was able to score its runner on another TU fielding error.
In the TU half of the inning, Lindsay was placed at second. Dyer drew a four-pitch walk while a wild pitch during her at-bat advanced Lindsay to third. McGlasson's grounder to second base was enough to score Lindsay as the rookie slide under the tag attempt of the MSU catcher, tying the game at 5-5. Vice ended the game by taking a 0-1 offering to right field for the walk-off double.
Chomicki, Dyer, Lindsay, Fennell and Lawrence were all named to the all-tournament team as well for the Golden Hurricane, 7-9 on the season. Tulsa will host the Great Western Downtown Plaza next week at the Hardesty Complex. Teams from Tulsa, North Texas, Kansas and Iowa State will take part in the festivities.
