Friday, March 21
Birmingham, Ala.
5:00 p.m.
Tulsa
16-14, 0
3
at
4
UAB
12-17, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Tulsa
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
10
3
UAB
1
0
1
0
1
1
X
4
10
0
Photo by: Joshua Rogers
Tulsa Softball Stages Comeback but Falls to UAB
3/21/2025 11:06:00 PM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Golden Hurricane softball team staged a comeback in the sixth inning, but UAB scored a run in the bottom of the frame and hanged on to beat Tulsa 4-3 in the first game of the conference series on Friday night in Mary Bowers Field.
Tulsa falls to 16-14 on the season (4-3 The American). This was the first series opening loss of the season for TU, who had dropped game two in the previous two weeks. UAB improved to 12-17 on the season (2-5 The American) and picked up their second conference win of 2025.
Maura Moore got the start and left with no decision. She was tagged for three runs, two earned, on nine hits across her 4.0 innings of work. The Blazers struck in the first, third and fifth innings. Alexa Hopkins (1-3) entered in relief and received the loss after allowing the game winner in the sixth. She allowed one hit, walked two and struck out two in two innings.
Faith Russell, Maci Cole and Whitney Holcomb all had multi-hit games against the Blazers on Friday. Holcomb recorded her third double of the season. Amber Turner and Paige Knight joined Holcomb in driving in Tulsa's three runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UAB opened the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back singles. However, Moore got the next two out and should have escaped the inning, but a fielding error at third, the second error of the inning for Tulsa, brought in the first run.
A leadoff double in the second helped the Blazers tack on another run. The next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third, which set things up for an RBI single as the Blazers went up 2-0.
Moore's night ended in the bottom of the fifth. UAB got back-to-back doubles to lead the inning and jump ahead 3-0. Hopkins stepped in the circle and got the first out. After consecutive walks loaded the bags, she escaped the frame with a fielder's choice at home and then a groundout to third.
Tulsa struck back in the top of the sixth. The Hurricane chased the starter from the game with three-straight singles from Cole, Celeste Wood and Turner, the final hit scoring Cole. A sacrifice bunt put both Wood and Turner in scoring position. Knight made the score 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Wood. After Burns drew a walk, Holcomb tied the game with a base hit through the right side, bringing Turner in.
The Hurricane had the momentum, but UAB was the team who capitalized. A one-out double in the sixth got the Blazers in business. TU got the second out on a ground ball to third. A fielding error kept the inning alive and put runners on third. Hopkins got the next batter to strike out for what would've been the final out, but the ball got past the catcher and a runner came home to score and give UAB a 4-3 lead.
Russell led off the top of the seventh with a single, but was quickly erased on a double play, hampering Tulsa's efforts to tie the game. A flyout to center ended the contest with UAB taking the 4-3 win.
Both teams collected 10 hits in the game. Tulsa committed three errors in the loss, while UAB's defense had none. The Hurricane left six on base while UAB stranded 11.
UP NEXT
Tulsa gets another shot at the Blazers in game two on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Tulsa falls to 16-14 on the season (4-3 The American). This was the first series opening loss of the season for TU, who had dropped game two in the previous two weeks. UAB improved to 12-17 on the season (2-5 The American) and picked up their second conference win of 2025.
Maura Moore got the start and left with no decision. She was tagged for three runs, two earned, on nine hits across her 4.0 innings of work. The Blazers struck in the first, third and fifth innings. Alexa Hopkins (1-3) entered in relief and received the loss after allowing the game winner in the sixth. She allowed one hit, walked two and struck out two in two innings.
Faith Russell, Maci Cole and Whitney Holcomb all had multi-hit games against the Blazers on Friday. Holcomb recorded her third double of the season. Amber Turner and Paige Knight joined Holcomb in driving in Tulsa's three runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UAB opened the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back singles. However, Moore got the next two out and should have escaped the inning, but a fielding error at third, the second error of the inning for Tulsa, brought in the first run.
A leadoff double in the second helped the Blazers tack on another run. The next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third, which set things up for an RBI single as the Blazers went up 2-0.
Moore's night ended in the bottom of the fifth. UAB got back-to-back doubles to lead the inning and jump ahead 3-0. Hopkins stepped in the circle and got the first out. After consecutive walks loaded the bags, she escaped the frame with a fielder's choice at home and then a groundout to third.
Tulsa struck back in the top of the sixth. The Hurricane chased the starter from the game with three-straight singles from Cole, Celeste Wood and Turner, the final hit scoring Cole. A sacrifice bunt put both Wood and Turner in scoring position. Knight made the score 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Wood. After Burns drew a walk, Holcomb tied the game with a base hit through the right side, bringing Turner in.
The Hurricane had the momentum, but UAB was the team who capitalized. A one-out double in the sixth got the Blazers in business. TU got the second out on a ground ball to third. A fielding error kept the inning alive and put runners on third. Hopkins got the next batter to strike out for what would've been the final out, but the ball got past the catcher and a runner came home to score and give UAB a 4-3 lead.
Russell led off the top of the seventh with a single, but was quickly erased on a double play, hampering Tulsa's efforts to tie the game. A flyout to center ended the contest with UAB taking the 4-3 win.
Both teams collected 10 hits in the game. Tulsa committed three errors in the loss, while UAB's defense had none. The Hurricane left six on base while UAB stranded 11.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Tulsa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| UAB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 4 | 10 | 0 |
UP NEXT
Tulsa gets another shot at the Blazers in game two on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tait Davidson (6-6)
L: Hopkins, Alexa (11-7)
Batting:
2B: Holcomb, Whitney 1
RBI: Turner, Amber 1 ; Knight, Paige 1 ; Holcomb, Whitney 1
SH: Cole, Maci 1 ; Dill, Annika 1
SF: Knight, Paige 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cole, Maci 1 ; Wood, Celeste 1 ; Turner, Amber 1
Batting:
2B: Bella Wiggins 1 ; Lindsey Smith 2
RBI: Hannah Miles 1 ; Hope Tucker 2
SH: Hannah Miles 1 ; Auburn Dupree 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hannah Dorsett 1 ; Bella Wiggins 1 ; Lindsey Smith 2
SB: Hannah Miles 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ SoftballIF
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