Tulsa Falls to Texas Tech in Season Opener

Friday, February 10

Arlington, Texas

12:00 PM

Tulsa

0-1

Texas Tech

1-0

Tulsa

Texas Tech

Tulsa Falls to Texas Tech in Season Opener

2/10/2023 7:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Gamebook (PDF)

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Golden Hurricane jumped out to an early lead, but it was not enough as the Tulsa softball team fell to the Red Raiders 8-3 in the season opener at the Maverick Invitational.

Tulsa fell to 0-1 while the Red Raiders moved to 1-0. The Hurricane were scheduled to play the hosts, UT Arlington later in the evening, but the game was moved to 12:30 PM on Sunday.

Junior Kylee Nash was in the circle for the Hurricane and punched out eight Texas Tech hitters over 3.2 innings of work. She gave up eight runs, seven earned, on six hits. Freshman Riley Grant made her debut for the Golden Hurricane in relief of Nash, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing two hits, with one walk and four strikeouts.

Sophomore Kailyn Bearpaw led the way offensively for the Golden Hurricane, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Imani Edwards batted 2-for-4 with a triple and Haley Morgan had a pair of hits, coming around to score twice. Celeste Wood, Tulsa's RBI leader last season, recorded a double and brought in a run.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Golden Hurricane got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning. Haley Morgan led off the game with a single to left. A passed ball got her to second and she advanced again on a fly out to right. With two away, Bearpaw delivered an infield single, which brought Morgan in for the first run.

Texas Tech responded immediately in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff single and double put runners in scoring position, and then a hit up the middle brought both in to give the Red Raiders a 2-1 lead, which they'd extend to 3-1 later in the inning.

Tulsa put runners on second and third in the following two innings but stranded them on both occasions. Tech extended its lead in the bottom of the third with a two out double and subsequent single to make the score 4-1.

The Hurricane wasn't done as Morgan reached first thanks to an error from the third baseman with one away in the top of the fourth. After a sacrifice moved her to second, Celeste Wood doubled her home. Bearpaw picked up her second RBI of the day with a single up the middle, bringing Wood home, cutting the Tulsa deficit to one.

Texas Tech put the game away in the bottom of the fourth. A trio of walks loaded the bases. It looked as if Nash might escape after striking out a Red Raider for the second out of the inning, but a passed ball and then a three-run homer blew the game open 8-3.

Imani Edwards led off the top of the fifth with a triple, but the next nine Hurricane were set down in order.

GAME NOTES

» Nash fanned eight Red Raiders hitters.
» Golden Hurricane pitchers combined to strike out 12 Texas Tech hitters.
» Tulsa went 4-for-13 (.308) with runners in scoring position.
» Bearpaw led the Golden Hurricane at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
» Texas Tech was led offensively by senior Ellie Bailey, who went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and five RBI.
» Sophomore Erna Carlin led the Red Raiders pitching staff, throwing three shutout innings.