Golden Hurricane Upsets #23 Tigers, Downs Black Bears

Saturday, March 4

Collins Family Softball Complex

2:30 PM

Tulsa

9-9

Missouri

14-6

Missouri

Tulsa

Photo by: Bill Powell

Golden Hurricane Upsets #23 Tigers, Downs Black Bears

3/4/2023 9:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box Score - Missouri | Box Score - Maine | Season Stats

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa softball team battled back to beat the 23rd-ranked Missouri Tigers 6-5 in a thrilling game Saturday on day two of the TU/OSU Invitational at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

The Hurricane smashed a record-tying five home runs in a 12-4 win over the Main Black Bears in the nightcap, moving to 10-9 on the season. Missouri ended the day 14-6 after splitting its games, and Maine dropped to 4-9 with the pair of losses.

Junior Kylee Nash entered in relief in both matchups and took the wins to move to 5-5. The hurler tossed 2.2 innings of one-run ball against Missouri before throwing 3.2 innings against the Black Bears, allowing just one run, unearned, and striking out six. She finished the day with seven strikeouts and just four hits allowed.

Nash also got it done at the plate, collecting a two-RBI double against Missouri and drawing a walk, and then adding another hit in the nightcap.

Maura Moore earned the start against Missouri, pitching 4.2 innings and giving up five hits and four runs with a pair of strikeouts. She also issued five walks. Freshman Riley Grant threw 2.1 innings against Maine and allowed three runs, two earned with a trio of strikeouts.

Abby Jones and Nash delivered a pair of pivotal RBIs against the Tigers as Jones, Imani Edwards and Claira Skaggs each had a pair of hits in the win.

Edwards and Skaggs combined for nine RBIs in the game against Maine with Edwards homering once and Skaggs twice. Edwards added a pair of doubles. Senior Haley Morgan joined them as Tulsa batters with three hits, adding a solo home run.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Tulsa 6, No. 23 Missouri 5

The Tigers drew first blood in the top of the third after a leadoff walk was rewarded with a two-run home run to left field to put Missouri up 2-0. Tulsa put runners on second and third with two away in the bottom of the frame but was unable to capitalize.

A two-out single to left in the fourth brought in another Missouri run, but a pair of heads up plays from the Tulsa defense saved more. As the throw from Edwards came home, catcher Rylie Keith received it too late for the out but quickly fired to third to nab a runner trying to advance.

The next batter laid down a beautiful bunt for a sure single, but instead of trying to catch her at first, Keith again made the smart play, waiting a beat and catching a Tiger runner trying to round third and head home for the final out.

Tulsa came roaring back in the bottom of the inning. With Skaggs and Jones on, Keith, who showed her defensive prowess in the top of the inning, delivered at the plate with an RBI double down the line in left. Nash pinch hit and delivered a two-RBI double of her own to tie the game at three.

Missouri retook the lead in the fifth. A walk and one-out double put runners in scoring position before a single broke the tie and ended Moore's night. Nash came in and loaded the bases with a walk, which set up a force out at home on a ground ball to first, and then a strikeout to escape the inning with no further damage.

Emma Vickrey entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth and contributed the biggest hit of her freshman campaign as she smashed a double to right that landed on the chalk and put Nash on third. Morgan tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Kara Daly put Missouri back on top in the seventh with a solo home run and Tulsa was now three outs away from a heartbreaking loss. Right fielder Kailyn Bearpaw made sure the lead remained one as a diving grab ended the inning with a runner on second who surely would have scored.

Celeste Wood started the bottom of the seventh with a single. A throwing error from the pitcher and a Skaggs single loaded the bases with nobody out. This brought Jones up, who hit a roller toward first that evaded the glove of the first baseman and into shallow right. Wood and pinch runner Faith Russell raced around the bags to score and Tulsa celebrated the upset in walk-off fashion.

GAME NOTES

» Saturday marked the first ranked win for Tulsa since taking three of four from #22 UCF in 2021 at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
» The Golden Hurricane out-hit the Tigers 12-7
» Tulsa went 5-for-13 (.385) with runners in scoring position.
» Missouri was led offensively by sophomore Kara Daly, who went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Tulsa 12, Maine 4

Four different players combined to homer five times as Tulsa took control in the first inning and never looked back on Saturday evening. The five home runs tied a school record Tulsa has equaled two other times, most recently against Drake in 2020.

However, it was Maine who struck first in the opening inning. A bunt single, walk and stolen base put runners on the corner. The Black Bears pulled off a good sacrifice bunt to bring home the game's opening run.

Tulsa responded immediately with four runs in the bottom of the frame. After an error put Morgan on second, Edwards crushed her first double of the evening to bring her home. A walk put two on for Skaggs, who smashed a home run to left to put TU up 4-1.

Maine would score runs in the second and third to cut the lead to 4-3 and bring Nash back into the circle with one out and the bases loaded. The pitcher snared a line drive and doubled off the runner at first to end the threat.

The Hurricane put the game away in the fourth inning. Edwards got the fireworks started with a three-run home run to give Tulsa a 7-3 lead. After a walk, Bearpaw got in on the action as she smashed a home run to center and make it 9-3.

Morgan added to Tulsa's lead as she blasted the longest home run of the night, a solo shot over the scoreboard to give Tulsa a 10-3 advantage. The Black Bears got a run back in the top of the sixth, but TU wouldn't be denied. Bearpaw singled to open the sixth and then Skaggs deposited a two-run home run, her second homer of the game, over the fence in left to give Tulsa its second walk-off win in as many games.

GAME NOTES

» The Hurricane hit five home runs in the win, a feat Tulsa has done two other times, most recently against Drake (Feb. 29, 2020.)
» Tulsa had nine extra base hits for the fourth time in school history and first since doing so against Mississippi Valley State (March 14, 2015).
» None of Tulsa's extra base hits in the win were triples
» Tulsa had three hitters get three hits (Morgan, Edwards and Skaggs).
» Nash struck out six Black Bears hitters.
» Four of the Tulsa pitching staff's nine strikeouts caught the batter looking
» The Golden Hurricane outhit the Black Bears 13-7.
» Tulsa went 3-for-8 (.375) with runners in scoring position.
» Tulsa pitchers limited Maine to just 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.

The Golden Hurricane are back in action Sunday for the finale of the TU/OSU Invitational. Tulsa will take on the No. 23 Missouri Tigers one last time at the Collins Family Softball Complex. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.