Bearpaw Drives in Five as Tulsa Finishes Weekend with 7-5 Win over Sam Houston

Sunday, March 12

Collins Family Softball Complex

12:30 PM

Tulsa

14-11

Sam Houston

9-17

Sam Houston

Tulsa

Bearpaw Drives in Five as Tulsa Finishes Weekend with 7-5 Win over Sam Houston

3/12/2023 3:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF) | Tournament Stats (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF)

TULSA, Okla. – Sophomore right fielder Kailyn Bearpaw set a career mark with five RBI, including the game winner, to lift the Golden Hurricane to a 7-5 win over Sam Houston in the finale of the Tulsa Invitational Sunday afternoon at the Collins Family Softball Complex

Tulsa finished the weekend 4-1 and move to 14-11 on the season as it closes a two-week homestand. Sam Houston dropped to 9-17 with pair of losses in the final day.

Freshman Riley Grant got the call in the circle, striking out the first batter she faced. She walked two and allowed a hit and two runs before exiting. Maura Moore (8-3) entered in the first inning as a relief pitcher and recorded the win. The sophomore pitched five and two-thirds, allowing five hits, three runs and striking out a pair.

Kylee Nash came in for the save in the seventh after spending most of the day as the Designated Player. She struck out two batters while picking up her second save of the season.

After a four-hit performance yesterday, Imani Edwards hit safely three times this afternoon. She came in to score twice. Along with her five RBI, Bearpaw was the lone Hurricane to pick up an extra base hit as Tulsa singled 10 times.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Tulsa 7, Sam Houston 5
Tulsa started the game with a strikeout, but a hit batsman and two walks loaded the bags with one out. A single and second batter hit brought in two runs before Moore entered the circle and shut down the threat.

The Hurricane spent little time halving the lead in the bottom of the frame. Singles from Haley Morgan and Imani Edwards allowed Bearpaw to bring in her first run with a sacrifice fly that fell just short of the fence.

The Bearkats added a run in the fourth inning. A leadoff walk moved her way to third with two outs. What looked like a playable ball to left bounced off the fielder's glove and fell safely for a double, extending the lead to 3-1.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Tulsa was able to flip the game around. Morgan and Edwards singled and Celeste Wood walked to load the bases. Bearpaw tied the game at three with a two-RBI single up the middle. Claira Skaggs reloaded the bases thanks to the catcher interfering with her swing, which brought in Nash. Playing as the DP for most of the game, Nash singled through the right side and brought in Wood and Gracie Jarvis, who was pinch running, giving Tulsa a 5-3 lead.

The Bearkats weren't done fighting, though. They led off the sixth with a single. A one-out double put two runners in scoring position. Sam Houston was rewarded with an RBI single and sacrifice fly to tie the game at five before a foul out to second ended the threat.

The first two batters went down in the sixth and it looked as if Tulsa was going to need its at-bats in the seventh to pull out the win. But Edwards picked up an infield single and advanced to second after Wood drew a walk after a long battle. That brought up Bearpaw who had already driven in three for the game. Bearpaw drove the second pitch she saw into the gap in right center, scoring both Edwards and Wood to give Tulsa the 7-5 lead.

Nash entered the circle for the seventh inning, looking to close it out. She forced a ground out and strike out before hitting a batter, bringing the tying run to the plate. Nash proceeded to strike her out to secure the win.

GAME NOTES

» Edwards picked up three hits in the game for Tulsa.
» Bearpaw drove in five runs for Tulsa, a new career mark.
» Four Golden Hurricane had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Golden Hurricane out-hit the Bearkats 11-6
» Bearpaw led the Golden Hurricane at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI.
» Sam Houston was led offensively by junior Ellie Grill, who went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
» Senior Daryn Grams led the Bearkats pitching staff, throwing 4.1 innings of four-run ball.

The Golden Hurricane will finish the nonconference season next weekend at the Rock Chalk Challenge. Tulsa plays Kansas City, Kansas, Fairfield and Nebraska over the two-day event. First pitch against Kansas City is set for 3 p.m. on Friday.