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Softball Continues Road Swing at Wichita State
4/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 7, 2009
TULSA, Okla. - The University of Tulsa softball team will continue its five-game road swing Wednesday with a doubleheader at Wichita State beginning at 4 p.m. at the C. Howard Wilkins Softball Complex.
Live stats of both games of the doubleheader will be available on www.TulsaHurricane.com. Tulsa is currently 22-13 overall and 7-4 in C-USA play, after winning one of three games at East Carolina over the weekend (1-3, 1-2, and 2-1) and dropping two games in the Border War last Wednesday, 9-5 to Arkansas and 7-4 to Oklahoma State.
The Hurricane enters the week with a team .278 batting average, with 154 runs scored, 256 hits, 143 RBI and 25 home runs. The team also carries a .354 on-base percentage and a .419 slugging percentage. The pitching staff has put together a 2.77 ERA with seven shutouts and has given up 187 hits, 105 runs - 90 earned - 90 walks and 211 strikeouts in 227.1 innings.
Wichita State (14-21, 5-7 MVC) is hitting .290 as a team, with 169 runs scored, 271 hits, 156 RBI and 23 home runs. The Shockers carry a .386 team OBP and a .415 team slugging percentage. The pitching staff has a 4.12 ERA with eight shutouts and has allowed 289 hits, 174 runs - 139 earned - 92 walks and 185 strikeouts in 236.0 innings.
Individually, Tulsa is led by junior right fielder Lauren Lindsay with a .389 batting average (42-for-108) with 22 RBI, 25 runs scored, seven home runs, 10 doubles, a .676 slugging percentage and a .480 on-base percentage. Senior left fielder Brooke Smart hits .337 (31-for-92) with 18 RBI, 18 runs scored, three doubles and three homers. Freshman second baseman Skylar Swanson has a .313 BA (25-for-80), leads the team with 23 RBI, and has 11 runs scored, three doubles, a triple and three homers.
In the circle, Junior Jackie Lawrence is 9-4 with a 1.92 ERA and two shutouts, allowing 62 hits and 35 runs - 25 earned - with 43 walks and 81 strikeouts in 81.1 innings with a .187 opp. batting avg. Senior Katie Lee is 6-4 with a 3.64 ERA and has thrown a pair of no-hitters. She has allowed 67 hits, 34 runs - 30 earned - with 13 walks and 40 K's in 57.2 innings. Sophomore Jordan Kinard is 7-5 with a 3.13 ERA with two shutouts, and has allowed 58 hits, 36 runs - 35 earned - walked 34 and struck out 90 in 78.1 innings.
Wichita State is led in hitting by second baseman Kara L'Huillier, who has a .396 batting average (42-for-106) with 30 RBI, 24 runs scored, seven home runs, 12 doubles, a .708 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage. Catcher Heather Gerritse hits .390 (41-for-105) with 24 RBI, 10 runs scored, four doubles, a triple and two homers. The Shocker pitching staff is led by Kasha Kolb, who sports an 10-14 record in 29 appearances with 22 starts, and has a 3.32 ERA, allowing 130 hits, 71 runs, 62 of which are earned, 50 walks and has struck out 133 in 130.2 innings.
Tulsa and Wichita State have played 31 times; Wichita State leads the series, 17-14. The series dates back to Tulsa's days in the Missouri Valley Conference, and since the Golden Hurricane left the MVC before the 1997 season, TU leads the series 12-9. The Hurricane and Shockers split the doubleheader last year, as well as in 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2006, while WSU swept in 2005 and 2007, and TU swept 2000 and 2001. Since 2001, Wichita State leads the series in games played in Wichita, 6-2, while the Golden Hurricane holds the advantage in games played in Tulsa, 8-3, and in neutral sites, 2-0.
The Golden Hurricane returns home Friday and Saturday for a Conference USA series against UAB. The first pitch of Friday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., and the Saturday single game will begin at noon. This weekend at the Donna J. Hardesty Complex is Youth Weekend. Kids can obtain free admission into the softball games this weekend by wearing their favorite jersey.
Tickets for Tulsa softball games are $6 for adults and $4 for youth high school aged and younger. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Tulsa Athletics Ticket Office in person, by calling (918) 631-GoTU or on the web by visiting www.TulsaHurricane.com.
