Thursday, May 9
Wichita, Kan.
2:30 p.m.
Tulsa
30-23
9
at
11
Wichita State
27-21
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Tulsa
2
0
0
0
6
0
1
9
11
2
Wichita State
3
0
0
1
7
0
X
11
8
2
Photo by: Evert Nelson / The American
Tulsa Softball Falls 11-9 in Quarterfinal of The American Championship
5/9/2024 8:26:00 PM | Softball
WICHITA, Kan. – In a back-and-forth affair with four lead changes, the Golden Hurricane came up short 11-9 at Wichita State in the quarterfinal round of the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship on Thursday afternoon.
Tulsa finishes the season 30-23 with a 14-13 record in The American games. Wichita State improved to 27-21 and will advance to Friday's semifinal, taking on the top-seeded Florida Atlantic Owls.
The Hurricane scored six runs in the fifth inning to go up four on the tournament's hosts, but Wichita State countered with a seven-run bottom frame to snatch the lead back. Despite a resilient effort that saw Tulsa outhit the Shockers 11-8, TU could not overcome the late setback.
Maura Moore got the start after her effort on Wednesday. She pitched an inning and allowed three runs on three hits with a strikeout. Anneca Anderson took over in relief and tossed the next three innings. She was tagged for a trio of runs, two earned, but allowed only two hits and struck out a pair. Anderson walked five in that time frame.
Kylee Nash (9-6) came on in the fifth and was tagged with the loss. She allowed five runs, but none were earned as a pair of errors came back to haunt the Golden Hurricane. Alexa Hopkins pitched the final 1.2 innings, striking out two and giving up just one hit.
At the plate, five different Hurricane picked up RBI. Haley Morgan homered and drove in two. She walked three times, stole two bags and scored twice. Maci Cole also had a long ball late to cut into the deficit. The catcher finished with a pair of hits and scored twice. Imani Edwards had two hits and drove in a run. Kailyn Bearpaw plated two with a fifth inning single and had two hits. Anderson pitched and hit, driving in two after smashing a double off the wall in center.
WICHITA STATE 11, TULSA 9
It didn't take Tulsa long to get a baserunner in the quarterfinal as MacKenzie Denson drew a full count walk with one away. Haley Morgan followed with a high fly ball to left that landed just over the wall for a two-run home run.
Wichita State responded quickly in the bottom frame. A leadoff double and then senior center fielder Addison Barnard replicated her opposite's feat with a game-tying home run to right. Not done, the next batter was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second before a double down the left field line off the bat of Taylor Sedlacek gave the Shockers a 3-2 lead.
Tulsa put runners on the corner in the third inning but couldn't bring one home. In the fourth, Kailyn Bearpaw singled and Tara Hall pinch ran. After a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, Celeste Wood singled up the middle. Hall rounded third and went home but the throw just beat her to the plate and Wichita State preserved its one run lead.
The Shockers added to their lead in the fourth. With one out, a hit batsman put a runner on base. A single and a walk loaded the bases before another walk gave Wichita State the 4-2 lead.
The Hurricane fought back in the top of the fifth. Denson singled with one out in the frame. Morgan and Claira Skaggs drew walks to load the bases. After a fielder's choice for the second out, Kailyn Bearpaw lifted a single to right that dropped in the triangle of grass between the right fielder, first baseman and second baseman that scored Morgan and Skaggs to tie the game.
Maci Cole followed with a single to the second baseman, who made a diving stop, but her throw from her knees was wide, bringing in Abby Jones and putting Tulsa ahead 5-4. Freshman Anneca Anderson ripped her second double in as many days, scoring Cole and Bearpaw, and then Imani Edwards singled home Celeste Wood. In all, TU plated six runs and took an 8-4 lead.
However, Wichita State struck back to take control in the bottom of the inning. A walk and single ended Anderson's afternoon in the circle as Kylee Nash stepped in. A single loaded the bases, and then a fielder's choice error on throw home plated two to cut Tulsa's lead to 8-6. After a ground out scored the seventh run, an error and a walk loaded the bases. Barnard stepped up again and again went deep, this time with a grand slam as the Shockers flipped the lead and went ahead 11-8.
After a quiet sixth, Tulsa faced the final three outs of its season. Not going down easily, Cole led the final frame with a solo home run to cut the deficit to 11-9. Following a ground out and a nice sliding grab in center, the Hurricane was down to its final out. Edwards ripped a single to keep the game alive, but that was it for Tulsa.
» Tulsa finishes to 30-23 on the season.
» The Golden Hurricane recorded its first 30-win season under head coach Crissy Strimple.
» Tulsa is 14-5 in The American Championship games.
» TU falls to 30-39 against Wichita State
» The Hurricane doubled once, finishing with 80 on the campaign.
» Anneca Anderson recorded her second double of the year.
» Haley Morgan homered for the fifth time this season.
» Maci Cole smashed her sixth home run of 2024.
Tulsa finishes the season 30-23 with a 14-13 record in The American games. Wichita State improved to 27-21 and will advance to Friday's semifinal, taking on the top-seeded Florida Atlantic Owls.
The Hurricane scored six runs in the fifth inning to go up four on the tournament's hosts, but Wichita State countered with a seven-run bottom frame to snatch the lead back. Despite a resilient effort that saw Tulsa outhit the Shockers 11-8, TU could not overcome the late setback.
Maura Moore got the start after her effort on Wednesday. She pitched an inning and allowed three runs on three hits with a strikeout. Anneca Anderson took over in relief and tossed the next three innings. She was tagged for a trio of runs, two earned, but allowed only two hits and struck out a pair. Anderson walked five in that time frame.
Kylee Nash (9-6) came on in the fifth and was tagged with the loss. She allowed five runs, but none were earned as a pair of errors came back to haunt the Golden Hurricane. Alexa Hopkins pitched the final 1.2 innings, striking out two and giving up just one hit.
At the plate, five different Hurricane picked up RBI. Haley Morgan homered and drove in two. She walked three times, stole two bags and scored twice. Maci Cole also had a long ball late to cut into the deficit. The catcher finished with a pair of hits and scored twice. Imani Edwards had two hits and drove in a run. Kailyn Bearpaw plated two with a fifth inning single and had two hits. Anderson pitched and hit, driving in two after smashing a double off the wall in center.
WICHITA STATE 11, TULSA 9
It didn't take Tulsa long to get a baserunner in the quarterfinal as MacKenzie Denson drew a full count walk with one away. Haley Morgan followed with a high fly ball to left that landed just over the wall for a two-run home run.
Wichita State responded quickly in the bottom frame. A leadoff double and then senior center fielder Addison Barnard replicated her opposite's feat with a game-tying home run to right. Not done, the next batter was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second before a double down the left field line off the bat of Taylor Sedlacek gave the Shockers a 3-2 lead.
Tulsa put runners on the corner in the third inning but couldn't bring one home. In the fourth, Kailyn Bearpaw singled and Tara Hall pinch ran. After a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, Celeste Wood singled up the middle. Hall rounded third and went home but the throw just beat her to the plate and Wichita State preserved its one run lead.
The Shockers added to their lead in the fourth. With one out, a hit batsman put a runner on base. A single and a walk loaded the bases before another walk gave Wichita State the 4-2 lead.
The Hurricane fought back in the top of the fifth. Denson singled with one out in the frame. Morgan and Claira Skaggs drew walks to load the bases. After a fielder's choice for the second out, Kailyn Bearpaw lifted a single to right that dropped in the triangle of grass between the right fielder, first baseman and second baseman that scored Morgan and Skaggs to tie the game.
Maci Cole followed with a single to the second baseman, who made a diving stop, but her throw from her knees was wide, bringing in Abby Jones and putting Tulsa ahead 5-4. Freshman Anneca Anderson ripped her second double in as many days, scoring Cole and Bearpaw, and then Imani Edwards singled home Celeste Wood. In all, TU plated six runs and took an 8-4 lead.
However, Wichita State struck back to take control in the bottom of the inning. A walk and single ended Anderson's afternoon in the circle as Kylee Nash stepped in. A single loaded the bases, and then a fielder's choice error on throw home plated two to cut Tulsa's lead to 8-6. After a ground out scored the seventh run, an error and a walk loaded the bases. Barnard stepped up again and again went deep, this time with a grand slam as the Shockers flipped the lead and went ahead 11-8.
After a quiet sixth, Tulsa faced the final three outs of its season. Not going down easily, Cole led the final frame with a solo home run to cut the deficit to 11-9. Following a ground out and a nice sliding grab in center, the Hurricane was down to its final out. Edwards ripped a single to keep the game alive, but that was it for Tulsa.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Tulsa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 2 |
| WSU | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | X | 11 | 8 | 2 |
» Tulsa finishes to 30-23 on the season.
» The Golden Hurricane recorded its first 30-win season under head coach Crissy Strimple.
» Tulsa is 14-5 in The American Championship games.
» TU falls to 30-39 against Wichita State
» The Hurricane doubled once, finishing with 80 on the campaign.
» Anneca Anderson recorded her second double of the year.
» Haley Morgan homered for the fifth time this season.
» Maci Cole smashed her sixth home run of 2024.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Aguilar, Alex (7-4)
L: Nash, Kylee (9-6)
S: Barber, Chloe (4)
Batting:
2B: Anderson, Anneca 1
HR: Morgan, Haley 1 ; Cole, Maci 1
RBI: Edwards, Imani 1 ; Morgan, Haley 2 ; Bearpaw, Kailyn 2 ; Cole, Maci 2 ; Anderson, Anneca 2
SH: Cole, Maci 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Denson, MacKenzie 1 ; Morgan, Haley 2 ; Skaggs, Claira 1 ; Jones, Abby 1 ; Bearpaw, Kailyn 1 ; Cole, Maci 2 ; Wood, Celeste 1
SB: Morgan, Haley 2
HBP: Skaggs, Claira 1
Batting:
2B: Wong, CC 1 ; Hood, Sami 1
HR: Barnard, Addison 2
RBI: Wong, CC 1 ; Barnard, Addison 6 ; Hood, Sami 1 ; Garcia, Jessica 1
SH: Urban, Bailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wong, CC 2 ; Barnard, Addison 2 ; Sedlacek, Taylor 1 ; Urban, Bailey 1 ; Hood, Sami 1 ; Brown, Lainee 1 ; Tallent, Caroline 2 ; Nelson, Krystin 1
HBP: Sedlacek, Taylor 1 ; Tallent, Caroline 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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IF
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P
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OF
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P/DP
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IF
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IF
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