Tulsa Takes Pair From East Carolina

The Golden Hurricane got two strong offensive outings, as well as two dominant pitching performances.

Saturday, March 17th 2012, 7:31 pm

By: News On 6

The Tulsa softball team played an unconventional pair of games Saturday, but came away with a pair of wins over East Carolina, topping the Pirates 5-2 in a 10-inning game to start the day, then closing it out with a 13-4, five-inning win in the second.

Lacey Middlebrooks (7-2) pitched all 10 inning for the Golden Hurricane, giving up just six hits and two earned runs, an RBI single in the fourth and a solo home run in the sixth, striking out four to earn the win.

For East Carolina, Sarah Christian (8-9) went the distance as well, pitching 9.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and five earned runs, none more critical than the final three.

In the bottom of the tenth, Caitlin Everett singled back to the pitcher and Christian intentionally walked Samantha Cobb to put runners on first and second with one out, choosing to pitch to Skylar Swanson. That turned out to be a bad choice, as Swanson homered to center field, ending the game.

In the second game, Tulsa literally did all of its offensive work in one inning, scoring 12 runs in the bottom of the second.

Trailing 2-0, Swanson started things off with a leadoff home run to cut the lead in half. Three at-bats later with the bases loaded, Cassidy Bowen hit a two-run single, and advanced to second and third on an error, scoring Shelby Blandon and Lacey Middlebrooks, taking a 3-2 lead.

Two batters later, Everett singled to the short stop, bringing Bowen home and doubling-up on the Pirates. Tulsa tagged on three more runs and put runners on first and second for Bowen's second at-bat of the inning, in which she homered to left field, putting TU ahead 12-2.

Aimee Creger (8-2) was credited with a win for the outing, giving up four earned runs on five hits in her four innings of service, striking out seven. Courtney Smith (2-7) pitched the whole game for East Carolina, giving up 13 runs – eight earned – on 11 hits.

Tulsa will try to pull off the series sweep at Noon Sunday, before heading to Stillwater for a mid-week game against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls.