Friday, March 7
Tulsa, Okla.
5:00 p.m.
Tulsa
vs
Memphis
Photo by: Bill Powell
Tulsa Softball Opens The American Play
3/6/2025 7:07:00 PM | Softball
TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa softball team hosts the Memphis Tigers at the Collins Family Softball Complex for a three-game series to start the American Athletic Conference play.
The series starts with a 5 p.m. game on Friday. The teams meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. before a Sunday finale at noon. All three games will air on ESPN+.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Tulsa (10-10) vs. Memphis (11-11)
Friday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Memphis
Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Memphis
Saturday, March 9 at 12:00 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Memphis
HOW TO FOLLOW
All three games will air on ESPN+. Bruce Howard and Haley Meinen will have the broadcast for Friday and Saturday's contests. Josh Haley replaces Bruce on the Sunday call. Fans can find the stats to all games at tulsa.statbroadcast.com.
LAST WEEK
The Tulsa softball team played its first weekend in the Collins Family Softball Complex, hosting Kansas City and Drake in the Hurricane Classic. Tulsa opened with a 6-5 win over the Roos, scoring twice in the seventh to walk it off. Later that evening, Tulsa scored twice in the sixth to down the Bulldogs 4-2.
On Saturday, the Hurricane played a doubleheader with the Bulldogs. This time, it was Drake's turn to break ahead late, scoring six in their final frame to overturn a 2-1 Tulsa lead and defeat the Hurricane 7-2. In the rubber match, Drake scored in the top of the third to jump ahead 1-0. That lead held until the bottom of the seventh, when TU walked it off again with a two-run seventh with back-to-back singles from Annika Dill and Celeste Wood.
Tulsa finished the Hurricane Classic 3-1 with three home runs, 25 hits and 13 runs driven in. Maci Cole and Aliya Scarborough both hit .500 for the four games with Cole collecting a triple and a home run and scoring five times. Claira Skaggs batted .333 with four runs driven in.
TU finished the weekend with a Sunday trip to Stillwater to face the No. 16/15 Cowgirls. Tulsa dropped the contest 9-0 to fall to 3-2 on the week and 10-10 on the season.
TULSA VS. MEMPHIS ALL-TIME
The Golden Hurricane has won 44 of the 55 matchups against the Memphis Tigers, including eight of the past 10 and 15 of the past 20. In the Collins Family Softball Complex, Tulsa is 24-4 against the Tigers.
THE AMERICAN PLAY
The Golden Hurricane is prepared to open its 10th conference season as members of the American Athletic Conference with Friday's game against the Tigers. The Hurricane is 7-2 in the opening conference game of the season, including 3-0 against the Tigers. This is the third straight year Tulsa has opened league play against Memphis.
THE SEASON SO FAR
Tulsa brings an even 10-10 record into the weekend and is 4-1 in the friendly confines of the Collins Family Softball Complex. Tulsa is batting .244 with 119 hits, 15 doubles, a pair of triples, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Claira Skaggs is slashing .365/.469/.615 to pace lead the Hurricane at the plate. She, Cole and Wood each have a team-best three home runs. Her 16 RBIs is one better than Woods' 15, and she has four doubles to pace TU.
In the circle, Maura Moore and Brinly Maples 93.1 innings of work. Moore has a 3.71 ERA with four complete games. She's amassed 38 strikeouts and six wins. Maples holds a 3.93 ERA with three wins, three complete games and a TU's lone shutout. Opposing batters hit a team-low .231 against her. Alexa Hopkins has spun 27.2 innings and held opponents to a .263 average.
WALK IT OFF
Tulsa won two of its games in the Hurricane Classic in walk-off fashion, both of them in the final frame of close ballgames. In the 6-5 win over the Roos, Tulsa trailed by as many as 5-2 in the fifth.
In the seventh, consecutive singles and a throwing error tied the game. Skaggs singled with two outs to give Tulsa the win.
The next night against Drake, TU struggled to get on the board, trailing 1-0 into the final frame. With one away, TU got three singles in a row from Cole, Skaggs and Dill to tie the game at 1-1. Celeste Wood recorded the fourth straight single with a fly ball that dropped in front of a charging center fielder to score pinch runner Whitney Holcomb and end the game.
HOME SWEET HOME
With Tulsa's win over South Dakota State, Tulsa has won its home opener in each of the past three seasons. The Golden Hurricane played exceptionally well in the friendly confines of the Collins Family Softball Complex last season, amassing a 15-4 record at home. So far, TU is 4-1 at home heading into the weekend series with Memphis.
SKAGGS NAMED TO THE AMERICAN HONORABLE MENTION
For her performance in the Hurricane Classic, TU third baseman Claira Skaggs was named to the American Athletic Conference Honorable Mention list. The senior batted .333 with a home run and four driven in. She slashed .333/.500/.667 and drew four walks in four games. Skaggs also had a great week defensively, recording four putouts and 12 assists without an error.
WOOD DRIVES THEM HOME
Senior Celeste Wood is batting .250 this season and is second on the team with 15 RBIs. The outfielder, who is slugging .482, leads the team with is tied for the team lead with six extra-base hits, recording two doubles, a triple and three home runs.
DON'T RUN ON AMBER
Freshman Amber Turner is off to a great start in her Hurricane career. She holds a .278 batting average and with 15 hits, three doubles, a home run and six RBIs. She also is 22nd in the NCAA and third in the American Athletic Conference with six runners caught trying to steal.
MAGNIFICANT MAURA
Senior pitcher Maura Moore has been busy, throwing 44.2 innings, the second-most in the conference and 37th most nationally. She leads The American and is 10th nationally with eight.
COLE AND SKAGGS POWER TULSA
In Tulsa's home opener against South Dakota State, seniors Maci Cole and Claira Skaggs fueled the Hurricane offense. Cole drew a walk and went 3-for-3 at the plate, coming around to score three times and driving in three runs. All three of her RBIs came in the second inning when she blasted her second home run of the season, a 3-run shot, to left center.
Skaggs also had a productive day at the plate, recording two doubles in the win, giving her four on the season. She drove in a pair of runs and then scored a run of her own in the win.
CLAIRA IS GRAND
Senior third baseman Claira Skaggs played a huge role in Tulsa's 6-2 win over Lamar. She hit a solo home run to give TU a lead in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh with the game tied at two, Skaggs stepped up with the bases loaded and smashed a grand slam to vie the Hurricane a 6-2 win.
WELCOME TO TULSA
Freshmen Aliya Scarborough and Annika Dill introduced themselves to Tulsa fans in the opening weekend in big ways. In her first at-bat in the season opener, Dill doubled down the line to drive in a row. And then in her first at-bat of her second game, she homered down the left field line, scoring two. Scarborough made a big bang in her first plate appearance of her career. Facing the No. 2 Texas Longhorns as a designated player, Scarborough halved the Texas lead in the bottom of the third with a solo home run.
NEXT UP
Following the weekend series with Memphis, the Golden Hurricane hosts No. 1 Oklahoma on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Collins Family Softball Complex. TU then goes on the road for the first time in league play to face East Carolina.
The series starts with a 5 p.m. game on Friday. The teams meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. before a Sunday finale at noon. All three games will air on ESPN+.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Tulsa (10-10) vs. Memphis (11-11)
Friday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Memphis
Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Memphis
Saturday, March 9 at 12:00 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Memphis
HOW TO FOLLOW
All three games will air on ESPN+. Bruce Howard and Haley Meinen will have the broadcast for Friday and Saturday's contests. Josh Haley replaces Bruce on the Sunday call. Fans can find the stats to all games at tulsa.statbroadcast.com.
LAST WEEK
The Tulsa softball team played its first weekend in the Collins Family Softball Complex, hosting Kansas City and Drake in the Hurricane Classic. Tulsa opened with a 6-5 win over the Roos, scoring twice in the seventh to walk it off. Later that evening, Tulsa scored twice in the sixth to down the Bulldogs 4-2.
On Saturday, the Hurricane played a doubleheader with the Bulldogs. This time, it was Drake's turn to break ahead late, scoring six in their final frame to overturn a 2-1 Tulsa lead and defeat the Hurricane 7-2. In the rubber match, Drake scored in the top of the third to jump ahead 1-0. That lead held until the bottom of the seventh, when TU walked it off again with a two-run seventh with back-to-back singles from Annika Dill and Celeste Wood.
Tulsa finished the Hurricane Classic 3-1 with three home runs, 25 hits and 13 runs driven in. Maci Cole and Aliya Scarborough both hit .500 for the four games with Cole collecting a triple and a home run and scoring five times. Claira Skaggs batted .333 with four runs driven in.
TU finished the weekend with a Sunday trip to Stillwater to face the No. 16/15 Cowgirls. Tulsa dropped the contest 9-0 to fall to 3-2 on the week and 10-10 on the season.
TULSA VS. MEMPHIS ALL-TIME
The Golden Hurricane has won 44 of the 55 matchups against the Memphis Tigers, including eight of the past 10 and 15 of the past 20. In the Collins Family Softball Complex, Tulsa is 24-4 against the Tigers.
THE AMERICAN PLAY
The Golden Hurricane is prepared to open its 10th conference season as members of the American Athletic Conference with Friday's game against the Tigers. The Hurricane is 7-2 in the opening conference game of the season, including 3-0 against the Tigers. This is the third straight year Tulsa has opened league play against Memphis.
THE SEASON SO FAR
Tulsa brings an even 10-10 record into the weekend and is 4-1 in the friendly confines of the Collins Family Softball Complex. Tulsa is batting .244 with 119 hits, 15 doubles, a pair of triples, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Claira Skaggs is slashing .365/.469/.615 to pace lead the Hurricane at the plate. She, Cole and Wood each have a team-best three home runs. Her 16 RBIs is one better than Woods' 15, and she has four doubles to pace TU.
In the circle, Maura Moore and Brinly Maples 93.1 innings of work. Moore has a 3.71 ERA with four complete games. She's amassed 38 strikeouts and six wins. Maples holds a 3.93 ERA with three wins, three complete games and a TU's lone shutout. Opposing batters hit a team-low .231 against her. Alexa Hopkins has spun 27.2 innings and held opponents to a .263 average.
WALK IT OFF
Tulsa won two of its games in the Hurricane Classic in walk-off fashion, both of them in the final frame of close ballgames. In the 6-5 win over the Roos, Tulsa trailed by as many as 5-2 in the fifth.
In the seventh, consecutive singles and a throwing error tied the game. Skaggs singled with two outs to give Tulsa the win.
The next night against Drake, TU struggled to get on the board, trailing 1-0 into the final frame. With one away, TU got three singles in a row from Cole, Skaggs and Dill to tie the game at 1-1. Celeste Wood recorded the fourth straight single with a fly ball that dropped in front of a charging center fielder to score pinch runner Whitney Holcomb and end the game.
HOME SWEET HOME
With Tulsa's win over South Dakota State, Tulsa has won its home opener in each of the past three seasons. The Golden Hurricane played exceptionally well in the friendly confines of the Collins Family Softball Complex last season, amassing a 15-4 record at home. So far, TU is 4-1 at home heading into the weekend series with Memphis.
SKAGGS NAMED TO THE AMERICAN HONORABLE MENTION
For her performance in the Hurricane Classic, TU third baseman Claira Skaggs was named to the American Athletic Conference Honorable Mention list. The senior batted .333 with a home run and four driven in. She slashed .333/.500/.667 and drew four walks in four games. Skaggs also had a great week defensively, recording four putouts and 12 assists without an error.
WOOD DRIVES THEM HOME
Senior Celeste Wood is batting .250 this season and is second on the team with 15 RBIs. The outfielder, who is slugging .482, leads the team with is tied for the team lead with six extra-base hits, recording two doubles, a triple and three home runs.
DON'T RUN ON AMBER
Freshman Amber Turner is off to a great start in her Hurricane career. She holds a .278 batting average and with 15 hits, three doubles, a home run and six RBIs. She also is 22nd in the NCAA and third in the American Athletic Conference with six runners caught trying to steal.
MAGNIFICANT MAURA
Senior pitcher Maura Moore has been busy, throwing 44.2 innings, the second-most in the conference and 37th most nationally. She leads The American and is 10th nationally with eight.
COLE AND SKAGGS POWER TULSA
In Tulsa's home opener against South Dakota State, seniors Maci Cole and Claira Skaggs fueled the Hurricane offense. Cole drew a walk and went 3-for-3 at the plate, coming around to score three times and driving in three runs. All three of her RBIs came in the second inning when she blasted her second home run of the season, a 3-run shot, to left center.
Skaggs also had a productive day at the plate, recording two doubles in the win, giving her four on the season. She drove in a pair of runs and then scored a run of her own in the win.
CLAIRA IS GRAND
Senior third baseman Claira Skaggs played a huge role in Tulsa's 6-2 win over Lamar. She hit a solo home run to give TU a lead in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh with the game tied at two, Skaggs stepped up with the bases loaded and smashed a grand slam to vie the Hurricane a 6-2 win.
WELCOME TO TULSA
Freshmen Aliya Scarborough and Annika Dill introduced themselves to Tulsa fans in the opening weekend in big ways. In her first at-bat in the season opener, Dill doubled down the line to drive in a row. And then in her first at-bat of her second game, she homered down the left field line, scoring two. Scarborough made a big bang in her first plate appearance of her career. Facing the No. 2 Texas Longhorns as a designated player, Scarborough halved the Texas lead in the bottom of the third with a solo home run.
NEXT UP
Following the weekend series with Memphis, the Golden Hurricane hosts No. 1 Oklahoma on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Collins Family Softball Complex. TU then goes on the road for the first time in league play to face East Carolina.
Players Mentioned
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