Tulsa Softball Splits Sunday Action in Louisiana

Sunday, February 13

Lafayette, La.

10:00 AM

Tulsa

UAB

Photo by: Bill Powell

Tulsa Softball Splits Sunday Action in Louisiana

2/13/2022 5:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Tulsa takes 13-12 win in 12 innings over UAB for first win of the season as freshman Celeste Wood has school record 8 RBI

LAFAYETTE, La. – A young Tulsa softball team opened the season in Louisiana, splitting time in Lake Charles for three games at the Evangeline Bank & Trust Invitational and the final two contests on Sunday at the 36^th Annual Louisiana Classics in Lafayette.

Tulsa ended Sunday play 1-1 on the day which started with a rousing 13-12 comeback victory in 12 innings over the UAB Blazers. The Hurricane finished the opening weekend in Louisiana 1-4 after falling to the 19^th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 8-0 in the nightcap.

It was the first taste of college softball for seven Tulsa newcomers while 16 of Tulsa's 18-player roster is underclassmen and only two seniors.

UAB, coming off a 31-19 season and appearance in the Conference USA Championship Game, jumped out to an 8-2 lead after one inning in the first game of the day. The Hurricane used a 6-run 4^th inning and knotted the score at 10-10 in the bottom of the 7^th to force extra innings.

The two teams battled five extra innings until Tulsa freshman Celeste Wood doubled to center field to score Haley Morgan and Kylie Norwood for the 13-12 victory. Wood ended the game with 4 hits and a school record 8 RBI.

In game 2, the nation's 19th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns showed value in its ranking with an 8-0 win over Tulsa in five innings. Coming off a 47-11 season where the Cajuns played in the Baton Rouge Regional Final, the home team scored seven runs in the first three innings and closed the game with a one-run 5^th.

ULL's Kendra Lamb held Tulsa hitless and scoreless as only one batter reached base for the Hurricane. She faced 16 Tulsa batters, struck out 10 and allowed one walk for her second victory of the season.

GAME ONE
Freshman Celeste Wood's double to center field scored the winning runs in the bottom of the 12^th inning to give Tulsa a 13-12 win over UAB in the first game Sunday at the Louisiana Classics.

Wood capped a sensational Tulsa comeback from down 8-0 after the first-half inning and 10-2 after one full frame. Her game-winning hit scored Kylie Norwood, who walked, and Haley Morgan, who singled, in the first game of the day at the Louisiana Classics.

As the Hurricane offense came awake in the middle of the game, it was senior pitcher Samantha Pochop who took the mound in the 2^nd and held UAB scoreless in 5.2 innings of regulation to help force extra innings. She pitched a total of 10.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits with six strikeouts for her first win of the season.

The top of Tulsa's lineup, 1 thru 4, combined for 11 of Tulsa's 16 hits and 11 RBI.
Wood ended with 4 hits and a school record 8 RBI, while Morgan also turned in four hits and had three RBI.

Tulsa forced the extra inning with a run in the bottom of the 7^th inning. The two teams were scoreless in innings 8 and 9. Per collegiate rules when teams reach the 10^th inning a runner is placed on second base to start the frame. UAB scored in the top half of the inning with two outs and Tulsa answered with a run of their own. The 11^th inning was scoreless, setting the stage for the Wood double in the 12^th to clinch the win for the Hurricane.

UAB bats were on fire to start the contest as the Blazers took an 8-0 lead after the first-half inning of play. Tulsa's rookie pitcher Mackenzie Brown shut down two of the first three batters she faced to start, but two doubles, a hit-by-pitch and two walks allowed the Blazers to take a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Kylee Nash relieved Brown and two batters later, UAB's Lauren Crowe's grand slam gave the Blazers an eight-run cushion.

Norwood opened the bottom of the first for Tulsa with a triple but was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice. Wood doubled down the left field line scoring Imani Edwards and Morgan to put two runs on the board, making the score 8-2 after one inning.

UAB added two runs in the 2^nd inning for a 10-2 lead before the senior Pochop made her way to the mound and retired her first two batters to end the first half of the inning.

Tulsa had a big 4^th inning with six runs on six hits to cut its deficit to two runs at 10-8.

Rylee Keith's single scored Abby Jones who reached base with her own single. Norwood's single loaded the bases with two outs and Morgan's double scored two runs with Rylee Keith and Gracie Jarvis, running for MaKayla Jackson, crossing the plate to make the score 10-5.

With two outs, the newcomer Wood doubled again to score Edwards, Morgan and Norwood to bring the Hurricane to within two runs.

The Hurricane had a chance to add runs in the 5^th inning as the first two batters reached base, but a double play and pop-up ended any scoring opportunity, keeping the score at 10-8. Tulsa added one more run in the bottom of the 6^th to make the score 10-9 as Edwards had her first hit and Wood her third. Kailyn Bearpaw struck out swinging but reached first on a wild pitch and Edwards scored on a throwing error.

With two out in the bottom of the 7^th Morgan singled to score Claira Skaggs and tie the game at 10 to force the extra frames.

SCORING SUMMARY
  1         2       3         4         5       6         7       8      9      10     11    12 R   H      E      LOB
UAB         8         2       0         0         0       0         0       0      0      1       0      1         12      13 6      10
Tulsa 2         0       0         6         0       1         1       0      0      1       0      2         13      16 2         11

WP: S. Pochop (1-2)        LP: M. Pierce (0-2)

GAME TWO
The 19^th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns improved to 5-0 on the season with an 8-0 win over Tulsa Sunday afternoon at Lamson Park. Tulsa fell to 1-5.

The game was scheduled to start at 12 noon, but Tulsa's extra innings in the first game moved the start time to 2:38 p.m.

The Cajuns opened the first inning with two singles and one run, added two runs in the second and four in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead. Tulsa's Sara Llamas-Howell set all three ULL batter down in order in the 4^th inning.

Louisiana ended the game in the bottom of the 5^th on a run rule by scoring one against Tulsa reliever Mackenzie Brown.

Tulsa was held hitless and scoreless for the game as only one batter reached base for the Hurricane. ULL's Kendra Lamb faced 16 Tulsa batters, struck out 10 and allowed one walk for her second victory of the season.

SCORING SUMMARY
               1         2       3         4         5 R      H     E     LOB
Tulsa       0        0       0         0         0    0 0      0     1
ULL 1         2       4         0         1 8   11 0      3

WP: Lamb (2-0) LP: S. Lllamas-Howell (0-1)