South Florida Comes Back to Sweep Tulsa

Saturday, April 8

Tampa, FL

10 AM

Tulsa

16-20, 0

South Florida

25-18, 0

Tulsa

South Florida

South Florida Comes Back to Sweep Tulsa

4/8/2023 2:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF)

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tulsa softball team saw its late lead slip away as South Florida came back in the bottom of the seventh to win 5-4 and complete the sweep at USF Softball Stadium on Saturday.

The Golden Hurricane finish the weekend with a 16-20, 2-4 AAC record after falling in all three games. South Florida improved to 25-18, 6-3 in conference play, earning its second sweep of The American season.

The Hurricane held a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but walks and soft singles undid TU in the final frame. A leadoff walk and infield single put runners on first and second. After a strikeout, the Bulls cut the lead to 4-2 with a single and then loaded the bags with another. A sacrifice fly brought South Florida within one with two outs. However, back-to-back infield singles scored two and gave the Bulls the 5-4 win.

Kylee Nash (6-11) came on in relief in the sixth and was handed the loss. Sophomore Maura Moore started and threw five innings for Tulsa. She gave the Bulls offense fits, allowing just three hits and one run, which was a solo home run to break up her no-hit bid in the bottom of the fifth. Moore also struck out two while walking one back in the first inning.

Gabriella Nori got the start for the Bulls was and tagged for all four of Tulsa's runs. She also gave up five hits. Vivian Ponn was credited with the win for her two innings of relief. Ponn struck out a batter and allowed no hits.

Rylee Keith smashed her fourth home run in the season and drove in three runs. She's hit three home runs in six conference games. Kailyn Bearpaw picked up her team-leading 27th RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Moore and the Tulsa defense were fantastic on Saturday. Through the first four innings, they combined to keep the South Florida offense hitless. A one-out walk in the first was the lone runner, and she was quickly erased on a lineout double play, one of two the Tulsa defense have.

At the plate, Tulsa was similarly having issues getting to the South Florida Ace. Getting the nod at first base, Emma Vickrey was Tulsa's first baserunner of the day as she was hit by a pitch in the top of the third. MacKenzie Denson later that inning had Tulsa's first hit, moving a runner to second, but that was the end of the opportunity.

Bearpaw singled to lead off the fourth and was promptly pinch ran for by Gracie Jarvis. However, Jarvis was stranded at second after two strikeouts and a foul out left her there.

The Golden Hurricane broke through in the fifth. Vickrey got on for the second time in the ballgame with an infield single to the pitcher. Tara Hall came on as a pinch runner, ending Vickrey's day, and moved to second on a sacrifice. Denson singled and Imani Edwards was intentionally walked, loading the bags.

As she has many times this season, Bearpaw came through for the Hurricane, hitting a deep fly to center that allowed Hall to tag up and score, breaking the deadlock. Keith stepped in and took a 2-2 pitch deep and over the wall in left for a three-run home run to give Tulsa a 4-0 lead.

South Florida didn't waste much time getting themselves on the board, breaking up Moore's no-hitter with a leadoff home run from Marissa Trivelpiece to make it 4-1. Moore settled down to get three of the next four batters.

A leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth ended Moore's day and brought in Nash. Consecutive walks loaded the bases for the Bulls. The next batter smashed a ball to deep center that looked destined for extra bases. Instead, Kennedy Cramer, playing in place of the injured Haley Morgan, made an incredible over the shoulder catch for the first out. The South Florida runner at third scored easily on the fly ball but Tulsa threw to third and she was judged to having left early, completing the double play and saving a run.

Nash walked another batter to load the bases again but got the next batter to hit a soft liner back to her. After facing a bases loaded and nobody out situation, Nash and the defense worked their way out of it with no damage.

Tulsa got a runner thanks to a hit batter in the seventh, but otherwise was unable to make any noise. A walk and single in the bottom of the seventh gave South Florida life. After another strikeout, a single up the middle cut the deficit to 4-2. The Bulls loaded the bags and then scored on a sacrifice fly to right, getting within one run of the Hurricane, 4-3.

With runners on first and second, Abby Jones made a nice diving play to keep a ball from leaving the infield up the middle, but the South Florida runner never stopped at third and scored to tie the game at four. A walk loaded the bases and then a slow roller in between short and third was enough to bring in the winning run on an infield single.

GAME NOTES

» Tulsa is swept for the first time in conference play
» This was the second game this season where Tulsa entered the seventh with a 4-1 lead and lost 5-4 (at Central Arkansas, 3/28)
» Tulsa was outhit 8-5 in the loss
» Moore carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning
» Tulsa entered the game ranked eighth in the nation and first in the conference for double players per game, 0.5, and turned another two this afternoon
» Keith has homered three times in conference play so far, hitting two against Memphis and one this afternoon.
» South Florida went 4-for-7 (.571) with runners in scoring position while Tulsa was 2-for-6 (.333)

The Hurricane have a tough schedule ahead next week as Tulsa will travel to Stillwater to face the No. 2 Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Tuesday. TU will then host UCF at the Collins Family Softball Complex for a weekend series. First pitch against the Cowgirls is set for 6 in the evening.