Friday, February 23
Las Vegas, Nev.
2:30 p.m.
Tulsa
5-5
4
vs
8
Southern Utah
7-5
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Southern Utah
0
0
0
2
1
0
5
8
8
0
Tulsa
0
2
1
0
0
1
0
4
11
0
Tulsa Bounces Back to Take One of Two in First Day of Rebel Classic
2/24/2024 12:02:00 AM | Softball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The University of Tulsa softball team dropped its opener 8-4 to Southern Utah but responded with a 4-3 win over the hosting UNLV Rebels in day one's nightcap of the Rebel Classic on Friday.
The Hurricane (6-5, 0-0 AAC) led both games heading into the seventh inning. In game one with Southern Utah (7-5, 0-0 WAC), the T-Birds put up five in the seventh to flip the momentum. That evening, TU was able to hold on to shut down UNLV (5-5, 0-0 MWC).
Maura Moore (3-2) got the win after pitching five strong innings for Tulsa in game two. The junior allowed three runs on five hits and struck out a trio of batters. Kylee Nash picked up her first save of the season when she came on in the seventh to close it out.
Anneca Anderson got the nod in game one, tossing four innings of three-run softball. The freshman only allowed two hits while striking out four. Nash (1-2) came on in relief and was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits while also striking out four. Both Moore and Anderson were responsible for a two-run home run in their respective games.
MacKenzie Denson had herself a five-hit day, driving in a run and coming around to score twice. Celeste Wood had three hits on Friday, recording a pair of RBIs and scoring a run on a double and a triple. Claira Skaggs added four hits, two RBI and two runs scored. She recorded three doubles and a triple. Imani Edwards had three hits, a double, a triple, an RBI and scored once.
GAME 1 – SOUTHERN UTAH 8, TULSA 4
Tulsa jumped all over the T-Birds in the early innings, taking advantage of some extra-base hits. Kailyn Bearpaw got things started in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff walk. Claira Skaggs followed with an RBI double up the middle to put Tulsa ahead 1-0. With two outs, Celeste Wood doubled her home to double the advantage.
The Hurricane added a run in the third. MacKenzie Denson singled with one out. Imani Edwards stepped to the plate and ripped an RBI triple to bring Denson home. TU tried to add a fourth on a ground ball, but Edwards got caught in a rundown and was tagged out.
Southern Utah got on the board in a big way in the fourth. The Thunderbirds drew a one-out walk for only its second base runner of the morning. Tulsa immediately paid for the walk as the next batter smashed a two-run home run to cut the Hurricane lead to 3-2.
After Tulsa failed to score in the bottom of the fourth, SUU led the fifth with another walk. That ended Anneca Anderson's day as Nash stepped into the circle. Another walk put the runner in scoring position with one out, and then a single tied the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, Tulsa retook the advantage with a trio of hits. Skaggs doubled up the middle to lead things off. A single to right moved a pinch-running Kaiya Luneckas to third. After a pop up, Celeste Wood blooped a single over the shortstop's head to score Luneckas and give Tulsa the lead back 4-3.
SUU started the seventh with a single and then advanced the runner on a sacrifice bunt. A single put runners on the corners, and another single tied the game and brought Alexa Hopkins into the circle. After hitting a batter to load the bags, Hopkins got a strikeout to put TU an out away from escaping the inning. Instead, the T-Birds got a two-RBI double to take the lead 6-4. A wild pitch and then a passed ball scored two more runs to give Southern Utah an 8-4 advantage.
Not done fighting, TU got a leadoff single and double to put two on with nobody out. After a pair of outs and a walk, Tulsa had the tying run at the plate. Unfortunately, a pop up to the pitcher ended the rally and the game.
GAME NOTES
» This was the first meeting between Tulsa and Southern Utah
» Tulsa outhit SUU 11-8 in the ballgame.
» All 11 hits came from five batters who all had multi-hit games.
» Five of the hits were for extra bases with four doubles and a triple.
GAME 2 – TULSA 4, UNLV 3
Again, the Hurricane popped out to an early lead with a two-run first inning. MacKenzie Denson took the leadoff slot for the game and singled to center. A hit from Imani Edwards put runners on the corners with one out. Skaggs cleared the bags with a triple to left, scoring both Denson and Edwards to go ahead 2-0.
The hosts didn't take long to respond with a run of their own. A leadoff walk, stolen base and single had UNLV with nobody out and runners on the corner. Maura Moore gave up a sacrifice fly for the first out and run. She then got a ground out and fly out to get out of the inning with minimal damage and retained the 2-1 lead.
Neither team would score again until the fourth frame. Bearpaw doubled to lead the inning and Tara Hall came on to pinch run. With one out, Denson singled to center again, and Hall raced around third to score and push Tulsa's lead to 3-1.
A one-out triple off the bat of Celeste Wood got Tulsa back in business in the top of the fifth. Abby Jones came through with an RBI double and Tulsa led 4-3 with still one out. But Tulsa would have to settle for one as the next two batters went down.
UNLV wasn't done, though. After the first batter struck out, the Rebels got some life via a hit batter. The next batter hit a two-run home run, the second Tulsa had given up in as many games, and the Hurricane lead was just 4-3.
However, Moore did not give up another hit the rest of the way, allowing just one batter to reach on a hit-batsman in the sixth. Nash came on to pitch the seventh inning and set the Rebels down in order to secure the win.
GAME NOTES
» Tulsa is now 4-15 all-time against UNLV
» MacKenzie Denson led off for the Golden Hurricane in game two for the first time this season.
» Three Hurricane had a multi-hit game, led by Imani Edwards with three.
» Tulsa had five extra-base hits with three doubles and two triples.
» Overall, the Hurricane outhit UNLV 11-5.
» Kylee Nash picked up the first save of the season.
The Golden Hurricane returns to action on Saturday with a pair of games in the second day of the Rebel Classic. First is a noon rematch with Southern Utah before finishing the day with a scheduled 2:30 p.m. first pitch against Santa Clara.
The Hurricane (6-5, 0-0 AAC) led both games heading into the seventh inning. In game one with Southern Utah (7-5, 0-0 WAC), the T-Birds put up five in the seventh to flip the momentum. That evening, TU was able to hold on to shut down UNLV (5-5, 0-0 MWC).
Maura Moore (3-2) got the win after pitching five strong innings for Tulsa in game two. The junior allowed three runs on five hits and struck out a trio of batters. Kylee Nash picked up her first save of the season when she came on in the seventh to close it out.
Anneca Anderson got the nod in game one, tossing four innings of three-run softball. The freshman only allowed two hits while striking out four. Nash (1-2) came on in relief and was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits while also striking out four. Both Moore and Anderson were responsible for a two-run home run in their respective games.
MacKenzie Denson had herself a five-hit day, driving in a run and coming around to score twice. Celeste Wood had three hits on Friday, recording a pair of RBIs and scoring a run on a double and a triple. Claira Skaggs added four hits, two RBI and two runs scored. She recorded three doubles and a triple. Imani Edwards had three hits, a double, a triple, an RBI and scored once.
GAME 1 – SOUTHERN UTAH 8, TULSA 4
Tulsa jumped all over the T-Birds in the early innings, taking advantage of some extra-base hits. Kailyn Bearpaw got things started in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff walk. Claira Skaggs followed with an RBI double up the middle to put Tulsa ahead 1-0. With two outs, Celeste Wood doubled her home to double the advantage.
The Hurricane added a run in the third. MacKenzie Denson singled with one out. Imani Edwards stepped to the plate and ripped an RBI triple to bring Denson home. TU tried to add a fourth on a ground ball, but Edwards got caught in a rundown and was tagged out.
Southern Utah got on the board in a big way in the fourth. The Thunderbirds drew a one-out walk for only its second base runner of the morning. Tulsa immediately paid for the walk as the next batter smashed a two-run home run to cut the Hurricane lead to 3-2.
After Tulsa failed to score in the bottom of the fourth, SUU led the fifth with another walk. That ended Anneca Anderson's day as Nash stepped into the circle. Another walk put the runner in scoring position with one out, and then a single tied the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, Tulsa retook the advantage with a trio of hits. Skaggs doubled up the middle to lead things off. A single to right moved a pinch-running Kaiya Luneckas to third. After a pop up, Celeste Wood blooped a single over the shortstop's head to score Luneckas and give Tulsa the lead back 4-3.
SUU started the seventh with a single and then advanced the runner on a sacrifice bunt. A single put runners on the corners, and another single tied the game and brought Alexa Hopkins into the circle. After hitting a batter to load the bags, Hopkins got a strikeout to put TU an out away from escaping the inning. Instead, the T-Birds got a two-RBI double to take the lead 6-4. A wild pitch and then a passed ball scored two more runs to give Southern Utah an 8-4 advantage.
Not done fighting, TU got a leadoff single and double to put two on with nobody out. After a pair of outs and a walk, Tulsa had the tying run at the plate. Unfortunately, a pop up to the pitcher ended the rally and the game.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| SUU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Tulsa | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
GAME NOTES
» This was the first meeting between Tulsa and Southern Utah
» Tulsa outhit SUU 11-8 in the ballgame.
» All 11 hits came from five batters who all had multi-hit games.
» Five of the hits were for extra bases with four doubles and a triple.
GAME 2 – TULSA 4, UNLV 3
Again, the Hurricane popped out to an early lead with a two-run first inning. MacKenzie Denson took the leadoff slot for the game and singled to center. A hit from Imani Edwards put runners on the corners with one out. Skaggs cleared the bags with a triple to left, scoring both Denson and Edwards to go ahead 2-0.
The hosts didn't take long to respond with a run of their own. A leadoff walk, stolen base and single had UNLV with nobody out and runners on the corner. Maura Moore gave up a sacrifice fly for the first out and run. She then got a ground out and fly out to get out of the inning with minimal damage and retained the 2-1 lead.
Neither team would score again until the fourth frame. Bearpaw doubled to lead the inning and Tara Hall came on to pinch run. With one out, Denson singled to center again, and Hall raced around third to score and push Tulsa's lead to 3-1.
A one-out triple off the bat of Celeste Wood got Tulsa back in business in the top of the fifth. Abby Jones came through with an RBI double and Tulsa led 4-3 with still one out. But Tulsa would have to settle for one as the next two batters went down.
UNLV wasn't done, though. After the first batter struck out, the Rebels got some life via a hit batter. The next batter hit a two-run home run, the second Tulsa had given up in as many games, and the Hurricane lead was just 4-3.
However, Moore did not give up another hit the rest of the way, allowing just one batter to reach on a hit-batsman in the sixth. Nash came on to pitch the seventh inning and set the Rebels down in order to secure the win.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Tulsa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
| UNLV | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
GAME NOTES
» Tulsa is now 4-15 all-time against UNLV
» MacKenzie Denson led off for the Golden Hurricane in game two for the first time this season.
» Three Hurricane had a multi-hit game, led by Imani Edwards with three.
» Tulsa had five extra-base hits with three doubles and two triples.
» Overall, the Hurricane outhit UNLV 11-5.
» Kylee Nash picked up the first save of the season.
The Golden Hurricane returns to action on Saturday with a pair of games in the second day of the Rebel Classic. First is a noon rematch with Southern Utah before finishing the day with a scheduled 2:30 p.m. first pitch against Santa Clara.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: S. Basso (1-0)
L: Nash, Kylee (1-2)
Batting:
2B: S. Basso 1
HR: A. Miranda 1
RBI: K. Becerra 1 ; M. Lopez 1 ; A. Miranda 2 ; S. Basso 2
SH: A. Toscano 1
Base Running:
RUNS: K. Becerra 1 ; M. Lopez 1 ; E. Gonzalez 2 ; A. Miranda 1 ; B. Freund 1 ; L. Cooke 1 ; S. Basso 1
SB: K. Becerra 1 ; L. Cooke 1
HBP: E. Gonzalez 1
Batting:
2B: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 2 ; Wood, Celeste 1
3B: Edwards, Imani 1
RBI: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 1 ; Wood, Celeste 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Denson, MacKenzie 1 ; Bearpaw, Kailyn 1 ; Skaggs, Claira 1 ; Luneckas, Kaiya 1
SB: Wood, Celeste 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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P/DP
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IF
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