Tulsa Celebrates Senior Day with 7-6 Win to Sweep East Carolina

Sunday, May 8

Collins Family Softball Complex

12:00 PM

Tulsa

18-29-1, 0

East Carolina

20-35, 0

East Carolina

Tulsa

Tulsa Celebrates Senior Day with 7-6 Win to Sweep East Carolina

5/8/2022 4:19:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Gamebook (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF)

TULSA, Okla. –– The University of Tulsa softball team completed its sweep of East Carolina with a 7-6 win on Senior Day in front of 179 fans at the Collins Family Softball Complex on Sunday afternoon.

The Golden Hurricane finishes the regular season with a 18-29-1 record, 7-9-1 in the American Athletic Conference, while East Carolina finishes at 20-35, 2-16 in The American.

Senior Samantha Pochop (12-14) got the win in her final game at home. She pitched her 16th complete game of the season, allowing six runs on nine hits and striking out seven while walking only one.

Tulsa outhit the Pirates 10-9 and ECU committed two errors to Tulsa's one. Jordan Hatch and Addy Bullis split time in the circle for East Carolina, with Hatch starting and taking the loss. Each pitched three innings, but Hatch allowed nine hits and all seven runs, six of which were earned. She also walked three batters.

Kylie Norwood and Haley Morgan both went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Kailyn Bearpaw led the team with four RBIs. Gracie Jarvis was the other batter with a multi-hit game for Tulsa as she went 2-for-3 in her first start of the season.

The Pirates got its first two runners on to start the game, but it was the Hurricane who struck first in the bottom of the frame. Leadoff infield singles from Norwood and Morgan followed by a walk to Abby Jones loaded the bases. Imani Edwards eventually drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 1-0 after one.

East Carolina returned serve in the second with a solo home run to tie the game. A pair of doubles brought in another run and gave ECU a 2-1 lead.

The lead would last less than half an inning as MaKayla Jackson picked up her 20th walk of the season with one out. After Norwood moved Jackson to second with a two-out single, Callie Davis entered as a pinch runner. Davis was brought home by a Morgan single to level the score at 2.

The Hurricane would retake the lead in a big way in the bottom of the fourth. Gracie Jarvis ripped a leadoff single off the third baseman and into the outfield. Norwood followed with a double and Jarvis never stopped running, coming around to score and give Tulsa the 3-2 lead.

Morgan laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line, giving the defense no chance as she easily beat the throw, and then a throwing error allowed Jones to load the bases with still nobody out.

Bearpaw stepped into the box with the bases loaded for the third time in the game. The third time was the charm as she lifted the third pitch she saw over the wall for a grand slam, her first career home run. Suddenly Tulsa's lead was 7-2.

The fifth and sixth innings passed without too much fanfare. Norwood was robbed of a two-run home run in the fifth as the right fielder made a leaping grab at the wall. ECU got two on in the sixth, but Pochop responded with back-to-back strikeouts.

Tulsa held a 7-2 lead headed into the final inning. After a single and a lineout, the Pirates homered to center to make the score 7-4. Another single and a foul out was followed by a second home run to center and Tulsa's lead was down to one. However, Pochop settled down and got the final batter swinging to secure the win.

Next up for the Hurricane is a trip to Greenville, N.C. for the American Athletic Conference Championship. Games get started on Thursday, May. 12 and will run through the rest of the weekend.