Tulsa
Memphis
Softball Routs Memphis 11-2 to Sweep Series
3/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 22, 2009
Box Score |
Box Score 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Tulsa softball team scored 11 runs on 11 hits, including 10 runs in the top of the first inning, to complete a three-game Conference USA series sweep of Memphis with an 11-2 win in five innings Sunday afternoon at the Tiger Softball Complex.
The Golden Hurricane (20-9, 6-2 C-USA) earned its second C-USA sweep in three league series this season and first on the road since 2007, which also took place at Memphis. Tulsa has swept all four conference series against Memphis since joining the league in 2006. TU scored 30 runs in the three games this weekend, all of which ended by mercy rule.
Senior Katie Lee pitched five strong innings to move to 6-3 on the season, as she allowed three hits, two earned runs, one walk and struck out three batters. Memphis falls to 13-16 overall and 1-5 in league play. Tiger starter Kimber Bossom received the loss and fell to 5-4 on the season.
Four Golden Hurricane players had multiple hits, led by junior catcher Christian Timmons' 3-for-3 day with two RBI and junior first baseman Vanessa Vice's 2-for-2 day with two RBI and two runs. Senior short stop Kailey Yarmer had two hits and hit a three-run home run, while junior right fielder Lauren Lindsay was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.
"We played well this weekend," Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. "This weekend reminded me of our first (Conference USA) weekend at home, and it is good to see that we can do it on the road. We pitched well three times, we hit well three times, and we played defense well three times."
Tulsa sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning, and Lindsay and Yarmer each got two hits in the frame. Lindsay led off with a single up the middle on the first pitch she saw. Sophomore designated hitter Lauren Menke walked, and Yarmer smashed a three-run homer to left field to put TU up 3-0.
Vice walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Following a ground out that pushed the runner to third, Timmons singled up the middle, scoring Vice. Freshman center fielder Jessica Stoelke singled through the right side and stole second, putting runners on second and third, and chasing Bossom from the game.
Memphis changed pitchers, putting in Janelle Valle. Senior third baseman Stephanie Chomicki grounded into a fielder's choice and Timmons was thrown out at the plate. Swanson then sent a base hit into right field, scoring Stoelke and putting runners at the corners with two outs.
Lindsay came back up and laced a double down the right field line to score Chomicki and advance Swanson to third. Menke reached on an error by the short stop, allowing Lindsay and Swanson to score. Yarmer followed with a single to center field and advanced to second on the throw to third, which was too late to get Menke out at the base. TU capped the scoring in the inning when Vice hit a single up the middle that scored both Menke and Yarmer, and give Tulsa a 10-0 lead after the first stanza.
The Hurricane earned its final run of the game in the third inning where Vice began by hitting a one-out single to left center and moving to second on a walk. She scored one batter later on a Timmons' RBI single through the left side.
Memphis' two runs came on a pair of solo homers by Leigh Rowan, her first two home runs of the year.
Tulsa returns home Wednesday, March 25 to play Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. Tickets for TU softball home games are $6 for adults and $4 for youth high school and younger, and can be purchased in person at the TU Athletics Ticket Office, by calling (918) 631-GoTU, or on the web by visiting www.TulsaHurricane.com.
