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Sunday, March 27
Collins Family Softball Complex
12:00 PM
Tulsa
12-18-1, 0
2
vs
2
Houston
17-16-1, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Houston
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
6
0
Tulsa
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
8
1
Golden Hurricane and Cougars Battle to 2-2 Tie
3/27/2022 5:16:00 PM | Softball
Gamebook (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF)
Tulsa, Okla. – In a rare occurrence, the University of Tulsa softball team ran out of time in the ninth inning, resulting in a 2-2 tie with the Houston Cougars in the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon at Collins Family Softball Complex.
As Sunday is a travel day, Coach Crissy Strimple and Houston coach Kristin Vesely had agreed to a 3:15 p.m. drop-dead time prior to first pitch. Claira Skaggs led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, but there was not enough time for another at-bat and the game was called by the home plate umpire.
The Golden Hurricane finishes the weekend with a 12-18-1 record, and 1-1-1 in The American Athletic Conference, while Houston moves to 17-16-1, 1-1-1 in the AAC. This was the first time the Hurricane has tied since tying Oklahoma State 0-0 and Boise State 6-6 during the 2013 campaign.
Samantha Pochop was in the circle again for Tulsa and continued her dominant streak. The senior threw a complete game in the no-decision. She allowed just two runs and six hits over nine innings. Pochop walked seven and struck out eight, and she threw 165 pitches on the afternoon.
Houston's Kenna Wilkey also went the distance, allowing eight hits and two runs over eight innings of work. She walked three and struck out two and was on 154 pitches when the game was called.
Unlike the previous two games of the series, neither offense was able to get going early. The teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning. Tulsa had the best opportunity to score earlier, loading the bases with one out in the third, but a pop out and groundout ended the opportunity.
Tulsa broke through in the bottom of the fourth and did so with a two-out rally. Skaggs singled up the middle on a 3-2 count. She was the only Tulsa player with multiple hits. Haley Morgan laid down a perfect bunt for a single, and then Kylie Norwood hit a double that just evaded the glove of the diving left fielder. Skaggs came in to score, giving Tulsa the 1-0 lead.
That lead would hold until the seventh inning, when a leadoff double got the Cougars immediately in scoring position. A sacrifice fly brought the runner home to tie the game. When Tulsa couldn't score in the seventh, the game moved on to extra innings.
The Cougars took their first lead of the afternoon in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of a pair of walks to begin the inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, a hard-hit ground ball just got past the diving Skaggs and into leftfield, allowing Houston to go up 2-1.
In Tulsa's half of the eighth, the Hurricane's first two batters were retired, bringing in Imani Edwards as the last hope. Edwards went ahead in the count 2-1 and then hammered the next pitch over the wall in left center to tie the game at 2.
Pochop returned to the circle for the ninth and retired the Cougars in order. However, despite a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth, there just wasn't enough time remaining to go for the win.
Tulsa and Houston split the series 1-1-1. The Golden Hurricane are back in action on Wednesday in Stillwater as Tulsa will take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. in Cowgirl Softball Stadium.
Tulsa, Okla. – In a rare occurrence, the University of Tulsa softball team ran out of time in the ninth inning, resulting in a 2-2 tie with the Houston Cougars in the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon at Collins Family Softball Complex.
As Sunday is a travel day, Coach Crissy Strimple and Houston coach Kristin Vesely had agreed to a 3:15 p.m. drop-dead time prior to first pitch. Claira Skaggs led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, but there was not enough time for another at-bat and the game was called by the home plate umpire.
The Golden Hurricane finishes the weekend with a 12-18-1 record, and 1-1-1 in The American Athletic Conference, while Houston moves to 17-16-1, 1-1-1 in the AAC. This was the first time the Hurricane has tied since tying Oklahoma State 0-0 and Boise State 6-6 during the 2013 campaign.
Samantha Pochop was in the circle again for Tulsa and continued her dominant streak. The senior threw a complete game in the no-decision. She allowed just two runs and six hits over nine innings. Pochop walked seven and struck out eight, and she threw 165 pitches on the afternoon.
Houston's Kenna Wilkey also went the distance, allowing eight hits and two runs over eight innings of work. She walked three and struck out two and was on 154 pitches when the game was called.
Unlike the previous two games of the series, neither offense was able to get going early. The teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning. Tulsa had the best opportunity to score earlier, loading the bases with one out in the third, but a pop out and groundout ended the opportunity.
Tulsa broke through in the bottom of the fourth and did so with a two-out rally. Skaggs singled up the middle on a 3-2 count. She was the only Tulsa player with multiple hits. Haley Morgan laid down a perfect bunt for a single, and then Kylie Norwood hit a double that just evaded the glove of the diving left fielder. Skaggs came in to score, giving Tulsa the 1-0 lead.
That lead would hold until the seventh inning, when a leadoff double got the Cougars immediately in scoring position. A sacrifice fly brought the runner home to tie the game. When Tulsa couldn't score in the seventh, the game moved on to extra innings.
The Cougars took their first lead of the afternoon in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of a pair of walks to begin the inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, a hard-hit ground ball just got past the diving Skaggs and into leftfield, allowing Houston to go up 2-1.
In Tulsa's half of the eighth, the Hurricane's first two batters were retired, bringing in Imani Edwards as the last hope. Edwards went ahead in the count 2-1 and then hammered the next pitch over the wall in left center to tie the game at 2.
Pochop returned to the circle for the ninth and retired the Cougars in order. However, despite a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth, there just wasn't enough time remaining to go for the win.
Tulsa and Houston split the series 1-1-1. The Golden Hurricane are back in action on Wednesday in Stillwater as Tulsa will take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. in Cowgirl Softball Stadium.
Team Stats
Batting:
2B: MYERS,Baylea 1
RBI: MATTHEWS,LA 1 ; MYERS,Baylea 1
SH: REPA,Katy 1 ; SHAW,Britaney 1 ; BROWN,Kati Ray 1
SF: MATTHEWS,LA 1
Base Running:
RUNS: THOMAS,Ja'Naiya 1 ; MYERS,Baylea 1
SB: BENAVIDES,Rock 1
CS: SCHULTE,Becca 1
Batting:
2B: Norwood, Kylie 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 1
HR: Edwards, Imani 1
RBI: Norwood, Kylie 1 ; Edwards, Imani 1
SH: Jones, Abby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
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