No. 20/20 Tulsa Splits on Opening Day at Cowgirls Classic

Friday, February 9

Lake Charles, La.

3:30 PM

Tulsa

1-0

Virginia

1-3

Tulsa

Virginia

No. 20/20 Tulsa Splits on Opening Day at Cowgirls Classic

2/9/2018 10:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Box Score (.pdf) | Game 2 Box Score (.pdf) | Season Stats (.pdf)

LAKE CHARLES, La. – No. 20/20 Tulsa split a pair of games on the opening day of the 2018 season with a 9-5 victory over Virginia, followed by a 6-3 setback against host McNeese State on Friday at the Cowgirl Classic.

The Golden Hurricane (1-1) got four hits over the two games, including the team's first home run of the season, from senior Shelby Estocado, while junior Julia Hollingsworth produced a double, a triple, four walks and a pair of RBIs.

In the opener, Tulsa jumped out to a 5-0 lead before holding off a charge from the Cavaliers (1-3).

The Hurricane scored the season's first run in the top of the first when Hollingsworth walked, stole second and came around to score on Morgan Neal's double to center. TU then added four runs in the third with four hits and a Virginia error.

Haley Meinen started the rally with a double and she touched home on Shannon Hughes' single. Rylie Spell and Sarah Kosmata also singled home runs before Hollingsworth knocked in the final run of the inning with a grounder.

However, the Cavaliers got four runs back in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 5-4.

Each team put a run on the board in the fifth, with Tulsa's coming on Hollingsworth's double to left-center that plated Sarah Briers, to make it 6-5.

TU then put the game out of reach with a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. In the sixth, Spell pushed across a run with a bases-loaded walk and Mikayla Whitten tacked on a run with a sacrifice fly. Then in the seventh, TU picked up its final score following a Virginia error.

With the 9-5 lead, Tulsa starter Emily Watson had more than enough cushion and the senior scattered two hits over the final two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Watson went the distance and struck out seven for the victory.

In the nightcap, the Golden Hurricane took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Hollingsworth reached on a one-out triple and scored on an error before Tori Stafford stole a base and touched home on Neal's sacrifice fly.

But the Cowgirls (3-0), who are receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, answered with two runs in the third, fourth and fifth to take a 6-2 advantage.

Tulsa got a run back in the top of the seventh on Estocado's leadoff solo homer to cut the deficit to 6-3, but could get no closer.

The Golden Hurricane will be back in action at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday against Houston Baptist and then take on McNeese State again at 5:30 p.m.

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