Tulsa Softball Secures Series Win with 3-1 Victory

Friday, March 29

Collins Family Softball Complex

5:00 p.m.

Tulsa

21-11, 7-4

UAB

14-19, 5-6

UAB

Tulsa

Photo by: Bill Powell

Tulsa Softball Secures Series Win with 3-1 Victory

3/29/2024 8:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

TULSA, Okla. – Senior shortstop Imani Edwards smashed a home run and Anneca Anderson tossed a complete game as the Golden Hurricane took game two of the series with UAB 3-1 on Saturday at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

Tulsa improves to 21-11 on the season and 7-4 in conference play after ensuring TU wins the series. UAB falls to 14-19 and 5-6 in The American.

With MacKenzie Denson standing on second in the opening inning, Edwards lifted a no-doubter to right field to put the Golden Hurricane ahead 2-0. It would be all the hosts needed thanks to another strong performance in the circle from Anderson and the defense behind her.

Anderson (7-1) got the start and the win, going all 7.0 innings and allowing just one run on three hits. She walked two and struck out four while throwing 107 pitches. UAB threatened in the fifth and sixth innings, and the Tulsa defense backed up their pitcher with a pair of double plays. First was a smashed line drive to Claira Skaggs, who made the heads up catch and then fired to first for a double play. Then, a nifty 5-4-3 double play erased an opportunity with two on and one out for UAB.

TULSA 3, UAB 1
The Hurricane didn't take long to grab the lead on Friday. MacKenzie Denson singled to the pitcher and an error moved her to second. It wouldn't matter, as Imani Edwards hammered a pitch over the wall in right for her third home run of the season as Tulsa went ahead 2-0.

UAB split the advantage in the top of the third. After a single and sacrifice bunt, the Blazers got a double that just landed foul down the left field line, scoring a run to make it 2-1. On the play, Denson quickly got the ball in and combined with Celeste Wood and Abby Jones to get the batter out, caught between second and third.

Tulsa got the run back in the bottom of the inning in what turned out to be the game's final run. Haley Morgan singled and was still on first when Claira Skaggs came up with two outs. Skaggs followed with a hard-hit single through the right side that moved Morgan to third. UAB's right fielder chose to throw to third and it was wild, bringing Morgan home as Tulsa went ahead 3-1.

From there, it was Anderson and the Tulsa defense who shut down UAB. The Hurricane pulled double plays in the fifth and sixth innings to escape jams, while Anderson allowed just one hit and struck out three in the final four innings.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
UAB	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	2
Tulsa	2	0	1	0	0	0	X	3	7	2

» Tulsa improves to 21-11 on the season and 7-4 in The American.
» First time a Tulsa game hasn't ended with a walk-off since Oklahoma State
» There were three double plays on Friday, two from the TU Defense
» In her last 20.1 innings (three complete games) Anderson has allowed just three runs and five hits.
» Six different Hurricane had a hit in the win.
» Imani Edwards hit her third home run and picked up her team-leading 22nd RBI.

Tulsa will go for the series sweep on Sunday with an 11:30 a.m. first pitch. The game will air on ESPN+ with an Easter Egg Hunt for young fans to follow the completion of the series.

-TulsaHurricane.com-