Tulsa Opens South Alabama Invitational with 4-2 Win

Thursday, February 23

Mobile, Ala.

5 PM

Tulsa

6-5

South Alabama

6-5

Tulsa

South Alabama

Photo by: @spillmanphoto

Tulsa Opens South Alabama Invitational with 4-2 Win

2/23/2023 9:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Gamebook (PDF)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Tulsa softball team jumped out to an early lead and never allowed it to slip in a 4-2 win over South Alabama in the opening day of the South Alabama Invitational Thursday evening.

Junior Kylee Nash (3-1) went the distance in the circle and picked up the win for Tulsa (6-5). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on eight hits, allowing one walk and striking out four. Jenna Hardy (2-3) took the loss for the Jaguars (6-5), throwing five innings of three-run ball.

The hosts outhit Tulsa 8-7 on the evening, but Tulsa only committed one error while the Jaguars made two. All three errors eventually resulted in runs.

Abby Jones delivered vital at-bats for the Golden Hurricane. She had an RBI single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the third, finishing the day 2-for-2. Haley Morgan and Imani Edwards also put together two-hit days, with Edwards tripling for the third time this season. Sophomore Celeste Wood finished hitless but earned two walks and drove in her 11th run of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Morgan singled to open the game. After stealing second, a throwing error put her on third with one away. Wood was walked for the first time, giving Tulsa runners on the corner with one out. Tulsa would benefit from an error again as the Jaguars' shortstop threw a ground ball away, allowing Morgan to score. Jones singled up the middle to bring in Wood and put Tulsa up 2-0.

South Alabama threatened in the bottom of the frame, recording back-to-back singles. Wood killed the momentum on a hot shot to third, touching the bag before firing to first to complete the 5-3 double play. A ground ball to first was gathered by Skaggs and Tulsa escaped unscathed.

After Tulsa left runners on the corners in the top of the second, the Jaguars copied themselves in the bottom of the inning. Consecutive singles were followed by consecutive outs. A hit batter loaded the bags before a single just snuck past Edwards into left, bringing in a run. Nash settled down to get the next batter, leaving them loaded with Tulsa leading 2-1.

The Hurricane would reestablish its lead in the third thanks in part to a Kailyn Bearpaw leadoff double. Tara Hall came in to run, advancing to third on a ground out and then scoring on a sacrifice fly from Jones.

After allowing the RBI single in the second, Nash retired the next nine batters and didn't allow a base runner until a walk in the fifth. A one-out double in the sixth finally put an end to Nash's streak. However, the junior pitcher got a ground out and then fooled the next batter for her third strikeout of the evening.

Edwards helped Tulsa add an insurance run in the seventh with a one-out triple. Wood hit a ground ball to the second baseman, who chose to throw home. But the delivery was a just offline and the tag too late to catch Edwards at the plate.

The Jaguars wouldn't go quietly, however. South Alabama started the inning with a single up the middle. Nash retired the next two batters, the latter her fourth strikeout, but Rylee Keith's attempt to catch the runner at first napping got away from Skaggs into right field, allowing the runner to advance to third.

An infield single made the score 4-2 and brought the tying run to the plate. With two away, the Jaguars batter smashed a hard ground ball toward second. As Jones was coming over to make a play, the ball hit off the leg of runner attempting to go to second, causing the final out of the game.

GAME NOTES

» Tulsa took a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Nash struck out 8 while causing eight ground outs and eight fly outs
» Edwards finished 2-for-4 with a triple, her third of the season
» Wood delivered her team-leading 11th RBI with a seventh inning single.
» South Alabama was led offensively by senior Meredith Keel, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
» Senior Jenna Hardy led the Jaguars pitching staff, throwing five innings of three-run ball.

The Golden Hurricane will open day two of the South Alabama Invitational with a 10 a.m. contest against Furman. Tulsa will then take on SEC opponent Mississippi State at 12:30 p.m.