2020-21 Softball Sports Report Recap
6/8/2021 1:35:00 PM | Softball
Tulsa softball head coach Crissy Strimple sat down with Bruce Howard to recap the 2020-21 season.
DELCE NAMED TO NFCA ALL-REGION 2ND TEAM
• The Hurricane's ace pitcher was named to the NFCA All-Central second team as a pitcher/designated player ... she is the first Tulsa player named to an NFCA All-Region team since Julia Hollingsworth and Delce were named to all-region teams in 2019.
• Delce, a sophomore pitcher from Oklahoma City, Okla., finished the season with an 8-6 record, throwing 89 innings during the season ... allowed only 89 earned runs on the season, while striking out 107 batters.
• From the plate, Delce recorded a career-high .296 batting average, putting in 29 hits in 98 at bats ... recorded 6 extra base hits, driving in 20 runs on the season ... finishing her 2021 campaign with a .418 slugging percentage and a .402 on base percentage
• The second post season award Delce has received, as she was named First Team All-American Athletic Conference for the pitcher/designated player position.
TULSA FALLS IN SEMIFINAL ROUND OF AAC TOURNAMENT
• The No. 4-seeded Hurricane took on the No. 1-seeded Wichita State Shockers in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament, falling 9-4.
• The Shockers did its damage in the first four innings, scoring three runs in the third inning for a 4-1 lead and took a seven-run cushion an inning later with five runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 9-2 lead.
• Tulsa opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning with one run as Alexis Perry singled home Haley Morgan from second base ... Chenise Delce helped the cause from the plate sending the first pitch of the fourth inning over the left field fence making the score 4-2.
• The Shockers took a 9-2 lead in the bottom of the 4th, as Lauren Mills blasted a two-out grand slam over the left field fence ... the lead was all WSU needed winning the contest 9-4.
DELCE, NORWOOD AND PERRY NAMED TO AAC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
• Tulsa's Kylie Norwood and Chenise Delce were named to the American Athletic Conference first team ... while Alexis Perry was named to the All-Conference 2nd team.
• Norwood, a junior from Santa Clarita, Calif., finished the season with a .396 batting average with 55 hits, 20 extra base hits and 28 RBIs ... started every game for the Hurricane at second base, leading off for Tulsa while securing a .633 slugging percentage and .469 on base percentage.
• The second time Delce has been selected to the AAC first team doing so in 2019 as a freshman ... drew 16 starts for the Hurricane this season in the circle, ending the year with a 8-6 record with a save in 89 innings of action ... recorded 107 strikeouts, while allowing just 42 earned runs in her 19 appearance
• After her senior season was cut short due to Covid-19, Alexis Perry came back this season, putting in a .336 batting average with 36 hits in 107 at bats ... led the Hurricane with 10 home runs on the season and 38 RBIs.
ROOKIES GET REWARDED
• True freshman Imani Edwards and Covid-19 freshman Haley Morgan were both named to the AAC all-rookie team.
• Morgan played 39 of the Hurricane's 41 games in center field while putting in a .311 batting average from the 2-hole ... recorded 33 hits, 17 RBIs and a .415 slugging percentage ... broke the Hurricane all-time single season hit by pitch record with 23 on the season.
• Edwards, started 35 games from shortstop, third base, right field and designated player for TU ... finished the season with a .275 average, driving in 12 runs on 30 hits ... led the team with 10 stolen bases on the season.
THE 9 TO 1 CONNECTION
• During the last 5 games of the regular season, against Wichita State and Houston, Celyna Shaw and Kylie Norwood hit in the 9 and 1 slots in the batting order.
• The duo combined for an .393 (11-28) batting average, using their bats to produce for the Hurricane ... during the streak the 2 have also combined for 5 walks.
• In the 5 game stretch, Shaw recorded a hit or reached a base on a walk or hit by pitch 9 times, following those 9 instances, Norwood followed Shaw by recording a hit or reaching base.
• In the last game of the Wichita State series and the first game of the Houston series the two recorded back-to-back solo home runs.
GOLDEN HURRICANE AGAINST THE TOP 75 RPI
• The Hurricane took on 17 teams that ranked in the top 75 RPI during the regular season ... of the 17 teams, 12 were American Athletic Conference opponents in Wichita State, USF and UCF ... the 5 non-conference teams include Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas.
• Against the 17 teams the Hurricane holds a record of 5-12 ... in AAC top 75 RPI matchups, Tulsa held a 5-7 record, including a 3-1 series edge against then-No. 22 UCF Knights.
• From the plate, Kylie Norwood dominated in the big games for Tulsa ... she started all 17 games, going 22-59 (.373) from the plate with 7 extra base hits and 9 RBIs. .
• Chenise Delce has led from the circle with a 3.80 earned run average in 8 starts over 43.1 innigns pitched ... she has 41 strikeouts, but just a 2-6 record.
FRESHMAN FRENZY
• The Hurricane used 3 true freshmen and 4 Covid-19 freshmen to propel its offense, defense and pitching during the 2021 season.
• Second-year freshman Haley Morgan started every game for the Hurricane in centerfield this season, while hitting in the two hole of the batting order ... she had a .311 batting average with 33 hits and 17 RBIs.
• True freshman Imani Edwards was a mainstay in the Hurricane lineup ... she hit .275 with 30 hits in 109 at bats .. she had a .330 slugging percentage and led the team with 10 stolen bases.
• True freshman Kennedy Cramer and RS-freshman Gracie Jarvis were both used as pinch runners this season ... the duo has combined for 22 runs and 10 stolen bases on the season.
• From the circle, true freshman Kylee Nash and RS-freshman Sara Llamas-Howell combined for a 3-7 record, striking out a combined 42 batters.
NORWOOD'S STRONG SEASON
• Junior Kylie Norwood dominated from the plate this season ... she ended the season with a .396 batting average with 55 hits with 20 extra base hits and 28 RBIs.
• After putting in a stellar performance of 6 hits, a double, two home runs and 5 runs batted in against the Houston Cougars on May 7-9, Norwood was named AAC Player of the Week.
• She recorded a .633 slugging percentage, .469 on base percantage ... she led TU in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, runs and total bases.
• Norwood finished 2nd in the American Athletic Conference in batting average with a .396 clip, 4th in on base percentage and hits, 6th in slugging percentage, 7th in runs scored and 9th in total bases.
• She was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on May 3.
