Friday, April 5
Wichita, Kan.
6:00 p.m.
Tulsa
24-11, 0
5
at
4
Wichita State
17-13, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Tulsa
0
2
0
0
0
0
3
5
10
1
Wichita State
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
4
6
1
Tulsa Knocks Off Wichita State 5-4 in Wild Opening Game
4/5/2024 9:51:00 PM | Softball
WICHITA, Kan. – The late innings of Friday's series opener between the Golden Hurricane and Shockers were worth the price of admission as the two teams traded leads before Tulsa escaped a bases loaded jam to win 5-4.
Tulsa (24-11, 9-4 The American) took an early lead with two runs in the second inning. Wichita State (17-13, 8-5 The American) was held quiet throughout the opening innings but tied the game in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth.
After the Hurricane responded with three runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead, Wichita State proved it would not go down without a fight. The Shockers loaded the bags twice in the inning and scoring once. Finally, Kylee Nash (8-2) induced a ground ball to Imani Edwards at short, who tossed it over to Claira Skaggs for the force out to secure the win.
Nash came on in relief in the sixth after the Shockers took the lead on a double with nobody out. She forced a ground out, pop out and strikeout to get out of the frame with no further damage. After the three-run top of the seventh, Nash was in line for the win. In her two innings of work, Nash allowed just one hit and one run, walking three and striking out a pair. Maura Moore got the start and allowed three runs on five hits. She also struck out a pair. Moore did not allow a hit until the fifth inning.
The top of the order had success for the Hurricane on Friday. MacKenzie Denson, Imani Edwards and Haley Morgan all posted multi-hit games and combined for all five RBI. Edwards hit safely three times, doubling once and driving in two. Morgan tripled in the first and drove in a run with a base knock in the seventh. She also drew a walk. Denson drove in a pair of runs, including the game-tying RBI in the seventh and scored later in the frame. Abby Jones added a double in the contest.
TULSA 5, WICHITA STATE 4
Junior pitcher Maura Moore kept the Shockers quiet early, walking two but allowing no hits through the opening four innings. For Tulsa, a Haley Morgan triple with two outs in the first came to nothing, but it set the tone for the Hurricane's hitting early.
Maci Cole singled up the middle with one out in the second. Kailyn Bearpaw followed with a single through the left side. After a second out was recorded, Emma Vickrey walked to load the bases. MacKenzie Denson picked up her first RBI with a single to the shortstop, who made a fantastic diving play to keep the ball from reaching the outfield but was unable to throw and beat Bearpaw to the third base bag as Cole scored the game's first run. Imani Edwards followed with a single through the right side to bring in Bearpaw. Vickrey attempted to score, but the throw home was true, and Wichita State escaped with no further damage.
The score would remain 2-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning. The Shockers had a runner on first with two outs, but Wichita State would not go down easily. A double off the wall in left center brought in a run to cut the lead in half. The lineup flipped for second baseman CC Wong, who came into the game batting .495 on the season. She went 1-3 on the day, but her one hit came at a pivotal time as Wong singled to left center to tie the game at 2-2.
The Hurricane went down in order in the sixth as the hosts had all the momentum. A leadoff Taylor Sedlacek single was quickly rewarded with an RBI double from Bailey Urban and Wichita State had its first lead. Moore departed for Nash in the circle. The senior retired the first three batters she faced to keep Tulsa within striking distance.
Celeste Wood pinch hit to start the seventh and drew a walk. Kennedy Cramer reentered the game on the basepaths. Vickrey laid down a sacrifice bunt and the third baseman chose to throw to second, which was not only too late to catch the speedy Cramer, but also there was no defender on the bag as the throw sailed into center, advancing both runners.
Tara Hall came on to pinch run for Vickrey. Denson grabbed her second RBI of the game with a soft fly ball to left, which scored Cramer to tie the game at 3. Edwards and Morgan followed with singles down the right field line and to left field, respectively, scoring Hall and Denson to give Tulsa the lead and an insurance run. TU would get the pair to second and third but could not tack on any more runs as the Hurricane moved to the bottom of the seventh now leading 5-3.
Wichita State drew a leadoff walk and a single to open the seventh. Nash got a strikeout for the first out of the frame, but then a walk loaded the bags. Sedlacek grounded into a fielder's choice as Skaggs collected a ball hit to third and stepped on the bag. A run scored to cut the lead to 5-4 as the Tulsa third baseman wisely chose not to force a throw in an attempt to turn two.
A wild pitch advanced the tying run to third. There was a review to see if Vickrey and Skaggs had combined to catch the runner, but after review the call was upheld. A walk loaded the bases and put the winning run in scoring position. But Nash battled and induced a ground ball to Edwards, whose only play was third. Her throw was on time as the Golden Hurricane secured the 5-4 win.
» Tulsa improves to 24-11 on the season and 9-4 in The American play.
» TU moves to 29-37 against the Shockers.
» This was Tulsa's first win in Wichita since 2018.
» The Hurricane doubled twice and have 62 doubles this season.
» Morgan recorded her third triple.
» Tulsa has 18 triples in 2024.
» Abby Jones posted her 11th double … second on the team behind Claira Skaggs.
» Imani Edwards doubled for the fifth time and drove in her 25th run of the season, which leads the team.
Tulsa (24-11, 9-4 The American) took an early lead with two runs in the second inning. Wichita State (17-13, 8-5 The American) was held quiet throughout the opening innings but tied the game in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth.
After the Hurricane responded with three runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead, Wichita State proved it would not go down without a fight. The Shockers loaded the bags twice in the inning and scoring once. Finally, Kylee Nash (8-2) induced a ground ball to Imani Edwards at short, who tossed it over to Claira Skaggs for the force out to secure the win.
Nash came on in relief in the sixth after the Shockers took the lead on a double with nobody out. She forced a ground out, pop out and strikeout to get out of the frame with no further damage. After the three-run top of the seventh, Nash was in line for the win. In her two innings of work, Nash allowed just one hit and one run, walking three and striking out a pair. Maura Moore got the start and allowed three runs on five hits. She also struck out a pair. Moore did not allow a hit until the fifth inning.
The top of the order had success for the Hurricane on Friday. MacKenzie Denson, Imani Edwards and Haley Morgan all posted multi-hit games and combined for all five RBI. Edwards hit safely three times, doubling once and driving in two. Morgan tripled in the first and drove in a run with a base knock in the seventh. She also drew a walk. Denson drove in a pair of runs, including the game-tying RBI in the seventh and scored later in the frame. Abby Jones added a double in the contest.
TULSA 5, WICHITA STATE 4
Junior pitcher Maura Moore kept the Shockers quiet early, walking two but allowing no hits through the opening four innings. For Tulsa, a Haley Morgan triple with two outs in the first came to nothing, but it set the tone for the Hurricane's hitting early.
Maci Cole singled up the middle with one out in the second. Kailyn Bearpaw followed with a single through the left side. After a second out was recorded, Emma Vickrey walked to load the bases. MacKenzie Denson picked up her first RBI with a single to the shortstop, who made a fantastic diving play to keep the ball from reaching the outfield but was unable to throw and beat Bearpaw to the third base bag as Cole scored the game's first run. Imani Edwards followed with a single through the right side to bring in Bearpaw. Vickrey attempted to score, but the throw home was true, and Wichita State escaped with no further damage.
The score would remain 2-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning. The Shockers had a runner on first with two outs, but Wichita State would not go down easily. A double off the wall in left center brought in a run to cut the lead in half. The lineup flipped for second baseman CC Wong, who came into the game batting .495 on the season. She went 1-3 on the day, but her one hit came at a pivotal time as Wong singled to left center to tie the game at 2-2.
The Hurricane went down in order in the sixth as the hosts had all the momentum. A leadoff Taylor Sedlacek single was quickly rewarded with an RBI double from Bailey Urban and Wichita State had its first lead. Moore departed for Nash in the circle. The senior retired the first three batters she faced to keep Tulsa within striking distance.
Celeste Wood pinch hit to start the seventh and drew a walk. Kennedy Cramer reentered the game on the basepaths. Vickrey laid down a sacrifice bunt and the third baseman chose to throw to second, which was not only too late to catch the speedy Cramer, but also there was no defender on the bag as the throw sailed into center, advancing both runners.
Tara Hall came on to pinch run for Vickrey. Denson grabbed her second RBI of the game with a soft fly ball to left, which scored Cramer to tie the game at 3. Edwards and Morgan followed with singles down the right field line and to left field, respectively, scoring Hall and Denson to give Tulsa the lead and an insurance run. TU would get the pair to second and third but could not tack on any more runs as the Hurricane moved to the bottom of the seventh now leading 5-3.
Wichita State drew a leadoff walk and a single to open the seventh. Nash got a strikeout for the first out of the frame, but then a walk loaded the bags. Sedlacek grounded into a fielder's choice as Skaggs collected a ball hit to third and stepped on the bag. A run scored to cut the lead to 5-4 as the Tulsa third baseman wisely chose not to force a throw in an attempt to turn two.
A wild pitch advanced the tying run to third. There was a review to see if Vickrey and Skaggs had combined to catch the runner, but after review the call was upheld. A walk loaded the bases and put the winning run in scoring position. But Nash battled and induced a ground ball to Edwards, whose only play was third. Her throw was on time as the Golden Hurricane secured the 5-4 win.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Tulsa | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| WSU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
» Tulsa improves to 24-11 on the season and 9-4 in The American play.
» TU moves to 29-37 against the Shockers.
» This was Tulsa's first win in Wichita since 2018.
» The Hurricane doubled twice and have 62 doubles this season.
» Morgan recorded her third triple.
» Tulsa has 18 triples in 2024.
» Abby Jones posted her 11th double … second on the team behind Claira Skaggs.
» Imani Edwards doubled for the fifth time and drove in her 25th run of the season, which leads the team.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nash, Kylee (8-2)
L: Aguilar, Alex (6-3)
Batting:
2B: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Jones, Abby 1
3B: Morgan, Haley 1
RBI: Denson, MacKenzie 2 ; Edwards, Imani 2 ; Morgan, Haley 1
SH: Vickrey, Emma 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Denson, MacKenzie 1 ; Cole, Maci 1 ; Bearpaw, Kailyn 1 ; Cramer, Kennedy 1 ; Hall, Tara 1
Batting:
2B: Urban, Bailey 1 ; Nelson, Krystin 1
RBI: Wong, CC 1 ; Sedlacek, Taylor 1 ; Urban, Bailey 1 ; Nelson, Krystin 1
SH: Hood, Sami 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sedlacek, Taylor 1 ; Johnson, Sophie 1 ; Hoekstra, Siera 1 ; Nelson, Krystin 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P/DP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF
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