Friday, April 21
Houston, TX
6 PM
Tulsa
18-23, 0
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Houston
19-22, 0
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Tulsa
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Houston
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Photo by: Campbell Rogerson
Tulsa Softball Starts Weekend with 7-0 Shutout Win Over Houston
4/21/2023 9:47:00 PM | Softball
Box Score (PDF)
HOUSTON, Texas – Maura Moore tossed a complete game four-hitter, and Rylee Keith drove in a career-high four runs as the Golden Hurricane shutout the Houston Cougars 7-0 in the series opener Friday evening at Cougar Softball Stadium.
Tulsa improved to 18-23 and 4-6 in The American in 2023. Houston fell to 19-22 and are 6-4 in conference play.
Moore (11-10) picked up her 11th complete game of the season and fifth shutout as she had command of the Houston offense for most of the game. The Cougars loaded the bases in the first and runners on the corners in the third, but other than that, Moore was nearly unhittable, striking out two and walking just one. After Houston's final hit of the third, Moore retired the next nine before a two-out single in the sixth finally snapped the streak. That would also be the final runner of the evening for the Cougars.
Kenna Wilkey (14-10) pitched well herself but was tagged with the loss. The Cougar tossed six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits while striking out five. She also walked four. Saleen Flores pitched the seventh, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk.
At the plate, Keith powered the Hurricane offense with a 2-for-3 night. The senior catcher gave Tulsa some breathing room with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, her fifth homer of the season. She came up again in the seventh and blew the game open with a two-run single. Behind the plate, she nabbed a Cougar trying to steal second to end the sixth.
Haley Morgan drew a leadoff walk and came around to score the first run of the game. Imani Edwards continued her hot-hitting with a two-hit performance, driving in Morgan in the first. Claira Skaggs also had a hit and a run and drove in a runner with a fielder's choice in the seventh.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tulsa struck first in the opening frame and did so quickly. Morgan led things off with a walk. After MacKenzie Denson sacrificed her to second, Edwards lined a pitch past a diving shortstop into the outfield, bringing Morgan in to score.
Houston looked ready to strike right back in the bottom of the frame. A throwing error allowed the first runner to reach safely. After a one-out walk and a single, the Cougars had the bases full. However, Moore forced a groundball to third and Skaggs delivered a perfect strike to Keith at home for the force out. Then a harmless fly ball to left ended the threat.
In the third, Houston recorded a two-out double and single to put two in scoring position. Moore and the Tulsa defense wasn't fazed as the next batter flew out to Morgan in center. Moore would get the next eight batters as well and that was the last inning where Houston had a runner reach further than first.
The Hurricane extended its lead in the fourth. Skaggs singled and Gracie Jarvis came in to pinch run after Kylee Nash laid down a sacrifice bunt. Jarvis wasn't left with much to do as Keith drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left center for a two-run home run, giving Tulsa a 3-0 lead.
TU took advantage of a Cougar error in the sixth to make it 4-0. With runners on first and second thanks to a walk and hit-by-pitch, Celeste Wood hit a ground ball toward third. The third baseman kicked the ball, which got away from everyone and allowed Tara Hall to score from second.
If there was any doubt heading into the seventh, Tulsa put it to bed. Skaggs hit into a fielder's choice with Edwards at third and Kailyn Bearpaw at second. The Houston second baseman chose to go home with the throw but was unable to nab the speedy Edwards as Tulsa went up 5-0. Keith came to the plate again with two outs and two in scoring position, and she drove a single to left, scoring both to give Tulsa the 7-0 advantage, which would become the final.
Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday afternoon. First pitch between the Cougars and Golden Hurricane is set for 2 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
GAME NOTES
» Tulsa outhit the Cougars 5-4 in the win and committed one error to Houston's two.
» Rylee Keith set a career high with four RBI
» Keith tied Claira Skaggs for the team lead with her fifth home run of the season
» Moore picked up her 11th complete game of the season and fifth shutout
» Moore worked quickly, throwing just 90 pitches, while Houston pitchers threw 141.
» The Hurricane had the leadoff runner reach safely in four of the seven innings tonight, a .571 success rate ... Houston finished one-for-seven (.143).
HOUSTON, Texas – Maura Moore tossed a complete game four-hitter, and Rylee Keith drove in a career-high four runs as the Golden Hurricane shutout the Houston Cougars 7-0 in the series opener Friday evening at Cougar Softball Stadium.
Tulsa improved to 18-23 and 4-6 in The American in 2023. Houston fell to 19-22 and are 6-4 in conference play.
Moore (11-10) picked up her 11th complete game of the season and fifth shutout as she had command of the Houston offense for most of the game. The Cougars loaded the bases in the first and runners on the corners in the third, but other than that, Moore was nearly unhittable, striking out two and walking just one. After Houston's final hit of the third, Moore retired the next nine before a two-out single in the sixth finally snapped the streak. That would also be the final runner of the evening for the Cougars.
Kenna Wilkey (14-10) pitched well herself but was tagged with the loss. The Cougar tossed six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits while striking out five. She also walked four. Saleen Flores pitched the seventh, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk.
At the plate, Keith powered the Hurricane offense with a 2-for-3 night. The senior catcher gave Tulsa some breathing room with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, her fifth homer of the season. She came up again in the seventh and blew the game open with a two-run single. Behind the plate, she nabbed a Cougar trying to steal second to end the sixth.
Haley Morgan drew a leadoff walk and came around to score the first run of the game. Imani Edwards continued her hot-hitting with a two-hit performance, driving in Morgan in the first. Claira Skaggs also had a hit and a run and drove in a runner with a fielder's choice in the seventh.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tulsa struck first in the opening frame and did so quickly. Morgan led things off with a walk. After MacKenzie Denson sacrificed her to second, Edwards lined a pitch past a diving shortstop into the outfield, bringing Morgan in to score.
Houston looked ready to strike right back in the bottom of the frame. A throwing error allowed the first runner to reach safely. After a one-out walk and a single, the Cougars had the bases full. However, Moore forced a groundball to third and Skaggs delivered a perfect strike to Keith at home for the force out. Then a harmless fly ball to left ended the threat.
In the third, Houston recorded a two-out double and single to put two in scoring position. Moore and the Tulsa defense wasn't fazed as the next batter flew out to Morgan in center. Moore would get the next eight batters as well and that was the last inning where Houston had a runner reach further than first.
The Hurricane extended its lead in the fourth. Skaggs singled and Gracie Jarvis came in to pinch run after Kylee Nash laid down a sacrifice bunt. Jarvis wasn't left with much to do as Keith drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left center for a two-run home run, giving Tulsa a 3-0 lead.
TU took advantage of a Cougar error in the sixth to make it 4-0. With runners on first and second thanks to a walk and hit-by-pitch, Celeste Wood hit a ground ball toward third. The third baseman kicked the ball, which got away from everyone and allowed Tara Hall to score from second.
If there was any doubt heading into the seventh, Tulsa put it to bed. Skaggs hit into a fielder's choice with Edwards at third and Kailyn Bearpaw at second. The Houston second baseman chose to go home with the throw but was unable to nab the speedy Edwards as Tulsa went up 5-0. Keith came to the plate again with two outs and two in scoring position, and she drove a single to left, scoring both to give Tulsa the 7-0 advantage, which would become the final.
Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday afternoon. First pitch between the Cougars and Golden Hurricane is set for 2 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
GAME NOTES
» Tulsa outhit the Cougars 5-4 in the win and committed one error to Houston's two.
» Rylee Keith set a career high with four RBI
» Keith tied Claira Skaggs for the team lead with her fifth home run of the season
» Moore picked up her 11th complete game of the season and fifth shutout
» Moore worked quickly, throwing just 90 pitches, while Houston pitchers threw 141.
» The Hurricane had the leadoff runner reach safely in four of the seven innings tonight, a .571 success rate ... Houston finished one-for-seven (.143).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Moore, Maura (11-10)
L: WILKEY,Kenna (14-10)
Batting:
HR: Keith, Rylee 1
RBI: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 1 ; Keith, Rylee 4
SH: Denson, MacKenzie 1 ; Nash, Kylee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morgan, Haley 1 ; Edwards, Imani 1 ; Bearpaw, Kailyn 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 1 ; Jarvis, Gracie 1 ; Hall, Tara 1 ; Keith, Rylee 1
SB: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Wood, Celeste 2
HBP: Keith, Rylee 1
Batting:
2B: COLEMAN,Turiya 1
Base Running:
CS: MYERS,Baylea 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF
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