TULSA, Okla. – Sarah Briers’ first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth, broke open what had been a close game and sent Tulsa to an 8-2 win against Houston in a first-round game of the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship Thursday at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
 
Tulsa (25-15), the No. 4 seed in the tournament, moves on to a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Wichita State Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
 
Chenise Delce went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and earned the win in the pitching circle for Tulsa after she worked five innings and allowed five hits and two runs with six strikeouts.
 
Briers’ round-tripper came with Tulsa holding a 4-1 lead after the Golden Hurricane had scored two runs earlier in the fifth inning, allowing Tulsa to build a 7-1 lead heading into the final two innings.
 
Houston (17-33) got one back in the top of the sixth as Bethany Busch cleared the fence in left-center with a solo shot to make it 7-2, and the Cougars put another runner in scoring position when Tierrah Williams doubled to right-center, But Tulsa turned to reliever Kassidy Scott, who retired the side on three groundouts to protect the lead.
 
Tulsa reclaimed the six-run lead in the bottom of the sixth on Alexis Perry’s deep shot to left, her 10th home run of the year, to make it 8-2 before Scott sent the Cougars down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
 
Tulsa had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Delce’s RBI single to centerfield, which allowed Haley Morgan to score from third.
 
The lead was short-lived as Houston tied it on Aspen Howie’s sixth home run of the season, a long shot over the leftfield fence in the top of the second, which made it 1-1.
 
Tulsa reclaimed the lead when Briers led off the bottom of the second with a base hit through the left side, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Tajiah Ellison’s line drive to left, making it 2-1.
 
The Golden Hurricane got a break in the bottom of the fifth when Perry’s sharp grounder deflected off of the diving third baseman and shortstop into the outfield, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Delce followed with a line drive to left, which brought home Hayley Morgan and gave Tulsa a 3-1 lead. Imani Edwards hit a hard grounder to first on the next pitch, and Perry was able to slide under the tag at the plate to make it 4-1.
 
Perry, Delce and Briers accounted for six of Tulsa’s seven hits and six of the Golden Hurricane’s eight RBIs.
 
Houston pitcher Logan Hulon allowed three hits and two runs in 3.2 innings, with three strikeouts and three walks. The Cougars had three extra-base hits among their five total hits as Busch and Howie homered, while Williams had a double.