NORMAN, Okla. — The University of Tulsa Softball Team fell just short of making the program's first NCAA Super Regional as they fell to defending national champion Oklahoma 3-0 in Monday afternoon's Norman Regional title game at Marita Hynes Field. The No. 23-ranked Hurricane (41-17) out-hit the No. 6-ranked Sooners (54-9), 8-6, in the game after being out-hit in last night's contest.
Morgan Neal went 2-for-3 with a double at the plate for Tulsa, which also got a pair of hits from
Julia Hollingsworth. Meanwhile,
Emily Watson yielded three runs off six hits with a pair of strikeouts. The junior finished the campaign with 348 strikeouts, which is the second-highest single-season total in program history.
Oklahoma's Nicole Mendes, who went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs in the contest, started the day with home run to right field on the game's first pitch that gave the Sooners an early lead before Watson settled in for the next three innings.
The Tulsa ace bounced back quickly in the first inning after the homer and a walk that followed, as she retired nine Sooners batters in a row until a single with one down in the fourth inning. Watson (30-6) was relieved by
Lexi Blevins prior to the top of the seventh after throwing every pitch of the regional to that point.
Tulsa's offense had little trouble putting runners on base as a Hurricane batter reached safely in every inning and the team recorded at least one hit in six of the seven frames.
The Hurricane had runners in scoring position in the first, third, fourth and fifth, but could not come up with the big hit to break through against Oklahoma ace Paige Parker, who improved to 22-5 with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings.
Parker stopped Tulsa's threats in the first and third with strikeouts and the Hurricane looked to break through in the fifth when Hollingsworth and
Maggie Withee reached base with back-to-back two-out singles.
However, Sooner left fielder Macey Hatfield ended the inning with a diving catch in foul territory to close the frame, which she started with a solo homer in the top inning that pushed the lead to 2-0.
After escaping the jam, Oklahoma tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Shay Romero dropped a two-out RBI single to left that made it 3-0.
Haley Meinen started the bottom of the inning with a single to right field, but Parker retired the next three hitters to move to the seventh. After Blevins recorded a scoreless top of the inning, Hollingsworth reached for the third time in the contest via a two-out walk only to see Parker close out the regional with a pop up.
With the victory, the Sooners advance to face No. 8 Auburn later this week in Super Regional action.
The game proved to be the final contest for Tulsa seniors
Maddie Withee,
Maggie Withee and
Brittany Walker. The trip has helped the program to 165 victories, three conference tournament titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Courtesy www.tulsahurricane.com