Seventh Inning Costs Tulsa in 5-4 Loss to Central Arkansas

Tuesday, March 28

Conway, AR

5 PM

Tulsa

14-15

Central Arkansas

21-8

Tulsa

Central Arkansas

Seventh Inning Costs Tulsa in 5-4 Loss to Central Arkansas

3/28/2023 8:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

CONWAY, Ark. – After leading the entire game, the University of Tulsa softball team allowed four runs in the final frame as the Golden Hurricane fell at Central Arkansas 5-4 on Tuesday evening.

The loss dropped Tulsa to 14-15 on the season while the comeback helped Central Arkansas improve to 21-8.

Despite a fantastic performance through much of the game, Kylee Nash (6-8) was tagged with the loss. She pitched 6.1 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits with a trio of strikeouts. Maura Moore struck out a batter and walked three after coming on in relief in the seventh.

In the first five innings, Nash allowed just one hit and retired 13 consecutive batters from the second inning through a third of the sixth.

Emma Vickrey earned the start behind the plate and was effective at the plate as well. She drove in her second RBI of the season and had a pair of hits in three at-bats. Haley Morgan and Imani Edwards each reached safely and came around to score. Kailyn Bearpaw provided Tulsa's lone extra-base hit with a double that drove in Edwards.

Tulsa held a 4-1 lead heading into the final inning. TU's lone error of the evening could not have come at a worse time, as it allowed the leadoff batter to reach first safely. A single and sacrifice bunt for the first out placed two runners in scoring position. Consecutive singles brought in a pair of runs to cut Tulsa's lead to 4-3.

Moore entered the circle to try to earn the save, but the first pitch went to the backstop, tying the game and putting the winning run on third. A walk and strikeout made the scenario two outs with runners on the corner. The next two batters also drew walks, bringing in the winning run.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Facing Central Arkansas' ace, Jordan Johnson, Tulsa needed to get ahead of her early, and the Hurricane did just that. Edwards singled with one out in the inning to get a runner on. Bearpaw got ahead in the count 2-0 and drove a ball that dropped just in fair territory down the field in left. Edwards came all the way around to score from first and give Tulsa a 1-0 lead.

The Bears looked poised to return fire in the bottom of the inning. Consecutive walks and a passed ball had runners on the corner with nobody out. MacKenzie Denson gave the Tulsa defense a shot of energy with a diving catch on a shallow fly ball that was dropping fast. The runner at third, believing the ball would land safely, took off for home and then was forced to return after the grab. After Nash snagged a ground ball right back to her, she struck out the final batter looking to escape the inning with zero damage.

After making the defensive highlight in the bottom of the first, Denson led the second with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and then showed off her wheels as she scored from second on Vickrey's infield single. The first baseman made a nice diving play to keep the ball in the infiled, but her throw home couldn't beat the speedy left fielder.

Morgan singled with two outs, allowing Tara Hall, who pinch ran, to move to second. A throwing error brought Hall home and advanced Morgan to third. She'd go on to score as a passed ball allowed her to come home and give Tulsa the 4-0 lead.

Central Arkansas got a leadoff single in the second, but Nash would shut down the next 13 Bears. She got some help from her defense, most noticeably the 12th out in a row, which closed the fifth inning. It would be scored as a simple unassisted groundout to first, but Claira Skaggs made a remarkable play to field the ground ball and leap to tag the runner before she could get to first.

Tulsa had a chance to add to its lead in the fourth. Nash earned a leadoff walk and Gracie Jarvis pinch ran. A single put two on before a fielder's choice left Tulsa with runners on second and third and one out. However, a popup and strikeout ended the opportunity and would be the last time TU would threaten.

A one-out walk ended Nash's consecutive batters streak in the sixth. With two away, the Bears singled and put runners on the corner. UCA got its first run on a wild pitch, making the score 4-1. The Bears got the tying run to the plate in the inning, but a ground out to Abby Jones at second kept them from doing any more damage.

The Hurricane couldn't add any insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Nash came out to try to get the complete game, but a leadoff error and three hits ended her evening. Moore was unable to stop the bleeding as three walks and a wild pitch helped the Bears overcome the deficit.

GAME NOTES

» For the second game in a row, Tulsa outhit an opponent 6-5 despite coming out on the other end of the result.
» Emma Vickrey collected her second RBI of the season with a single in the second inning.
» Both teams struck out four opponents.
» Walks proved costly as Central Arkansas drew seven free bases to Tulsa's two.
» Kailyn Bearpaw had the lone extra-base hit for either team

The Golden Hurricane will have to shake this loss off quickly as Tulsa returns home to face the No. 2 team in the country, Oklahoma State on Wednesday evening at the Collins Family Softball Complex. The game will air on ESPN+ with a 5 p.m. first pitch. Bruce Howard is joined by John Holcomb to bring fans the action, and Michelle Montaine will work as the sideline reporter to give more in-depth coverage.