Sill Leads Tulsa To 1-0 Win Over UConn In AAC Championship

Junior Caitlin Sill pitched a two-hitter and junior left fielder Jodi Edmiston scored the game's only run to lead the Tulsa softball team to a 1-0 win over UConn in the American Athletic Conference Championship Thursday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex.

Sill (10-10) struck out four batters and allowed no walks to pick up her 10th win of the season. Edmiston gave the Golden Hurricane (35-17) its first hit of the game in the fifth inning, and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Erica Sampson.

The Hurricane advances to the American Conference semifinals, where it will face Houston at 2 p.m. CT Friday. The game will be broadcast on the American Digital Network.

UConn starter Chelsea Eckert (6-15) allowed a run on three hits with three walks for the Huskies, which fell to 18-35.

“Sill pitched a fabulous game,” Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. “She didn't give them opportunities to get freebies with walks. She was going to make them hit her. She did a great job of attacking the zone and changing speeds, and just kept them off balance all day.”

Edmiston singled to through the left side with one out in the bottom of the fifth, and went to third on sophomore third baseman Maggie Withee's base hit to right field. Sampson followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Edmiston.

Sill allowed a base hit in the second inning and another in the fourth inning. The bunt single in the fourth turned into a runner on third with no outs when the throw when down into the right field corner. Sill then retired the next three batters in the inning, and the final 12 batters she faced to shut down the Huskies.

Tulsa put runners on base in each of the first three innings with walks to junior designated player Catherine Horner, sophomore right fielder Brittany Walker and Edmiston, but could not get past first base. Senior first baseman Julie Kernen reached on an error to begin the fifth inning, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but was stranded at second base.

The Hurricane totaled three hits in the game, including the singles by Edmiston and Withee. Walker singled to center with one out in the sixth inning, but only made it as far as second base.