Tulsa
Texas-Arlington (gm 1)
Golden Hurricane Sweeps UTA in Non-conference Softball Action
4/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 16, 2008
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa softball team showed no signs of rust on Wednesday, sweeping Texas-Arlington 5-1 and 9-0 on Wednesday night at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. TU had not played in 10 days, in large part thanks to Mother Nature raining out a midweek contest last week. The Golden Hurricane pounded out 19 hits and produced 34 baserunners during the twinbill, with eight of the hits going for extra bases.
Senior Sara Dyer's 3-for-3 performance in the opening game propelled her to the top spot on the school career hits charts. With 205 during her four seasons at TU, she topped the previous record of 204 held by former TU slugger Katie Torres. She would also add another hit during the night cap.
Tulsa started the scoring right from the start. Sophomore Lauren Lindsay opened the TU half of the first inning with an infield single that got away from a diving UTA second baseman. Two batters later, Dyer homered for the fourth time this season for an early 2-0 TU advantage. It was also Dyer's 20th career home run, making her only the second TU hitter to reach the 20 home run plateau at TU.
After a scoreless second inning, Lindsay led off the TU third with a solo homer to centerfield. Her 10th home run of the season is the third most for a single season in TU's history. Her 18th career home run also ties her with current assistant coach Crissy Strimple for fourth place on the career homer chart as well. A pair of walks from sophomore Christian Timmons and Dyer, followed by a line drive that literally took the pitcher's glove off by junior Kailey Yarmer loaded the bases for the Hurricane. After a fielder's choice recorded the first out of the inning, freshman Kelly Chapman followed with a hard grounder to the shortstop, but an off target throw home allowed Dyer and Yarmer to score. The two unearned runs gave Tulsa a 5-0 lead after three innings.
UTA would cut into the lead with a solo home run in the fourth, as Ashley Swofford recorded her 10th on the year. However the Mavs would not threaten again until a two-out double in the top of the seventh inning by April Clougherty. Freshman Jordan Kinard struck out only two UTA batters in the circle for the Hurricane, however only allowed three hits in the contest, two of which came with two strikes on the batters. It was Kinard's ninth complete game of the season and third shutout of the year.
In addition to Dyer's three hits, Lindsay contributed two hits for the Hurricane as well. Sophomore Vanessa Vice, senior Lindsey Tower and Yarmer also recorded hits for Tulsa in the contest.
The TU bats remained hot between the games as well. In the second game, the first seven TU batters reached base safely. Lindsay opened the bottom of the first with her 19th double of the season. A double by Timmons in the second slot allowed Lindsay to score TU's first of five runs in the inning. Dyer's single to centerfield allowed Timmons to score. Back-to-back walks by Yarmer and Vice loaded the bases for Tulsa, while a third straight walk by Chapman allowed Dyer to score the third run of the inning. Junior Brooke Smart closed out the scoring with a two-run single to give TU an early 5-0 lead.
Sophomore Jackie Lawrence nearly recorded her third career no-hitter, which would have been a school record. After retiring the first six batter of the game, the hurler allowed a lead-off walk in the third for UTA's first baserunner of the contest.
Tulsa added to its lead with a run in the second inning on a solo home run from Timmons, her fourth on the year, and three more runs in the third inning. Tower led off TU's third at-bat with a walk, followed by a triple off the bat of junior Stephanie Chomicki. Lindsay followed with her 11th home run of the year. She now has 19 career homers to tie with former TU slugger and assistant coach Angie Fuller in third place all-time at Tulsa.
With a 9-0 lead heading into the top of the fifth, Lawrence needed only three more outs to record her third career no-hitter, a feat no one at TU had ever accomplished also a note broadcaster Joe Kennedy shared with the listening audience. On the next pitch, Kristin Moore deposited a leadoff double off the handle of her bat just past an outstretched Yarmer down the third baseline to break up the no-no bid. The next batter lined into an unassisted double play, then Lawrence induced a routine grounder to third to end the game. Lawrence did strike out seven of the 17 UTA batters she faced in the contest to improve to 10-7 on the year. It was 12 complete game and second shutout of the season.
Timmons was the big bat for TU in the night cap, with a 3-for-3 performance. Smart was 2-for-2, while Lindsay also recorded two hits in the game. Dyer, Vice and Chomicki each recorded a hit, while freshman Jill Canete also got into the action with a pinch hit single in the fourth.
Tulsa (23-18) will play at Oklahoma State on Thursday night, then host nationally-ranked and league leading Houston for a three-game series starting Saturday. Texas-Arlington falls to 20-19 on the season.
