Nash and Moore Shine as the Golden Hurricane Sweeps Day Two of the Tulsa Invitational

Saturday, March 11

Collins Family Softball Complex

1:30 PM

Tulsa

12-11

Sam Houston

9-15

Sam Houston

Tulsa

Photo by: Bill Powell

Nash and Moore Shine as the Golden Hurricane Sweeps Day Two of the Tulsa Invitational

3/11/2023 6:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SHSU BOX (PDF) | UNI BOX (PDF)

TULSA, Okla. – Junior pitcher Kylie Nash and sophomore Maura Moore were brilliant in the circle for the Golden Hurricane as Tulsa beat Sam Houston State 7-1 and Northern Iowa 1-0 in the second day of the Tulsa Invitational Saturday in the Collins Family Complex.

Tulsa improves to 13-11 on the season with the wins, while Northern Iowa moves to 10-9 and Sam Houston fell to 9-15.

Nash (6-6) took the ball for the opener and was fantastic throughout. She only had the one strikeout, but only walked two and the only run came on a solo home run when the game was all but over. She set the Bearkats down in order in three innings and held them to a collective 3-for-24 (.125).

In the afternoon game, Moore pitched a gem in a one-hit complete game shutout. She Struck out four batters and walked four, two of which came in the final inning, while holding the Panthers to a .050 batting average against her.

The Tulsa defense came through to support their pitchers as well, committing zero errors in 14 innings of work. Tulsa also caught a baserunner trying to steal and recorded a double play in the second game.

Claira Skaggs continued to showcase her power, blasting a solo home run in the second game, which served as the lone run in the win. She's up to five home runs on the season.

Imani Edwards had a four-hit first game, which included two RBI and a run scored. Celeste Wood had three hits in the opener and a pair of doubles.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Tulsa 7, Sam Houston 1

The pitchers were the stars of the show through the first four innings of the game. Nash allowed just two hits in the opening four frames, while Sam Houston's Mika Vento allowed four Tulsa hits. TU stranded runners at third in the first and fourth inning.

The Golden Hurricane finally broke through in the fifth, taking advantage of timely two-out hitting. Morgan and Edwards both singled before Wood hit a sharp ground ball that skipped over the first base bag and down the line four a double, bringing Morgan in for the first run.

After staying silent on the board for so long, Tulsa nearly ended the game in the sixth. MacKenzie Denson singled with one out and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After stealing third, she scored on a fielder's choice where she helped the batter stay safe by freezing the second baseman before darting home to beat the tag.

With Abby Jones on third and two outs, Nash helped herself out at the plate, singling in Jones to make it 3-0. After Morgan wore a pitch to get on base, Edwards came through for the fourth time in the game with a two-run single that just evaded the glove of a diving right fielder. Back-to-back doubles from Wood and Kailyn Bearpaw brought in the sixth and seventh runs.

The Bearkats hit a solo home run with one out in the seventh to break up the shutout, but it was not nearly enough as Nash got the next two batters to secure the win.

GAME NOTES

» Edwards led the way with four hits and two RBI
» Wood had three hits, two RBI and a pair of doubles in the win
» The Golden Hurricane outhit the Bearkats 13-2.
» Tulsa went 5-for-12 (.417) with runners in scoring position.
» Nash held the Bearkats to 1-8 with two outs, 0-2 with runners in scoring position and 0-7 in leadoff situations.
» Sam Houston was led offensively by junior Julia Herzinger, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Tulsa 1, Northern Iowa 0

The second game was a pitcher's duel the entire way. Maura Moore and Northern Iowa's Kailyn Packard both threw complete games and there were only four hits between them.

Skaggs delivered the game's first hit, and it was an important one. The first baseman smashed a 2-2 pitch out to right for her fifth home run of the season and second of the weekend to give Tulsa a 1-0 lead that would remain the rest of the way.

Northern Iowa's only hit of the game came in the top of the fourth on a leadoff single. After a fielder's choice and strikeout, Rylee Keith and Abby Jones combined to catch a baserunner attempting to steal second.

Jones and Morgan singled consecutively with two outs in the fifth, but a groundout ended the opportunity. The Panthers drew a walk in the sixth that went nowhere. Back-to-back walks with two outs in the seventh put the tying run in scoring position, but Claira Skaggs was there to make the catch on a sharply hit line drive to first to end the threat and the game.

GAME NOTES

» Moore tossed a one-hit shutout for the Golden Hurricane, her seventh complete game and third complete game shutout of the season.
» Neither team committed an error in the game
» Tulsa is now 1-3 this season when only scoring one run.
» The Hurricane has shown an ability to hold onto leads, holding a 6-1 record when winning after four ... South Alabama was the lone loss.
» Packard led the Panthers pitching staff, throwing six innings of one-run ball.

The Golden Hurricane will finish the Tulsa Invitational and two-week homestand with a final game against Sam Houston Sunday afternoon. First pitch time is set for 12:30 and the game will air on ESPN+.