CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
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TULSA, Okla. – Tournament host and third-seeded Tulsa won the 2016 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship with a 4-0 win over USF Saturday afternoon at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
The Hurricane had four players named to the all-tournament team, including second baseman Morgan Neal, pitcher Emily Watson, and designated player Jocelyn Sheffield. Senior pitcher Caitlin Sill was named Most Outstanding Player after going a perfect 2-0 in two appearances over the weekend with a 0.00 earned run average.
Sill picked up the win for Tulsa (35-19) and improved to 19-10 on the year. The senior pitched a complete-game four hitter in Saturday's contest. Junior left fielder Maddie Withee led the offense for the Hurricane, going 2-for-2 with a run and a walk.
The championship final was a pitcher’s duel until the fourth inning as both teams combined for three hits over the first three-and-a-half stanzas. With the score tied at zero in the bottom of the fourth, Withee got the Tulsa bats going with a triple to right center, which sparked a three-run, four-hit inning for the Hurricane.
Tulsa senior Jodi Edmiston scored on a bases loaded walk in the fifth inning to push the Hurricane advantage to 4-0.
Astin Donovan and Lauren Evans each had one hit apiece for the Bulls (44-14). Shortstop Cassidy Boyle led the USF offense with a 2-for-2 outing.
Tulsa will learn its NCAA Tournament seeding on Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern. The selection show will air live on ESPNU.
2016 American Softball All-Tournament Team
Samantha McCloskey, C, UCF
Shelby Turnier, P, UCF
Savannah Heebner, P, Houston
Courtney Klingler, 1B, Houston
Erica Nunn, P, USF
Lee Ann Spivey, C, USF
Lauren Evans, 1B, USF
Astin Donovan, LF, USF
Morgan Neal, 2B, Tulsa
Emily Watson, P, Tulsa
Jocelyn Sheffield, DP, Tulsa
Caitlin Sill, P, Tulsa (Most Outstanding Player)