TU Softball: Golden Hurricane Takes Down Kansas

Juniors Catherine Horner and Jodi Edmiston homered, and senior Bailey Erwin earned the victory in relief, leading the Tulsa softball team to a 3-2 win over Kansas Sunday afternoon at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

The Golden Hurricane improved to 29-15, while Kansas fell to 33-8. Horner hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and Edmiston followed with a solo shot in the second to give the Hurricane a 3-1 lead. Erwin (14-3) entered in relief with two outs in the fourth inning and the score 3-2, and held the Jayhawks to just three hits the rest of the way. She struck out four, and did not give up a walk.

Freshman Emily Watson started for TU, and struck out three batters and allowed one earned run on three hits in 3.2 innings. KU starter Alicia Pille (20-3) allowed two runs in 0.1 innings, and gave way Bryn Houlton, who allowed a run on five hits in the final 5.2 innings.

“Cat Horner put a great swing on the ball, getting that two-run home run in the first inning, and then Jodi followed it in the next inning,” Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. “We had to make those runs stand up, and we did with a lot of good pitching a lot of good defense. Bailey pitched very well against Oklahoma State, and she came out and looked sharp again (today), keeping the ball on the edges.”

Kansas took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. First baseman Maddie Stein hit a two-out double down the right field line, and scored when third baseman Chanin Naudin hit a hard grounder that rolled through the legs of the second baseman.

Senior right fielder Erica Sampson led off the bottom of the first with a single through the left side of the infield. Horner followed two batters later with her second home run of the season, putting Tulsa ahead, 3-2.

Edmiston homered with one out in the second inning, launching a shot that landed onto 6th Street. It was her second home run of the year, and made the score 3-1.

Kansas pulled within 3-2 in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Shannon McGinley, scoring Naudin, who reached on a single.

Sampson was 2-for-3 at the plate, including a double in the fourth inning, pacing an eight-hit effort for the Hurricane. Senior first baseman Julie Kernen, and sophomores center fielder Maddie Withee, third baseman Maggie Withee and designated player Brittany Walker also singled for TU.

The Golden Hurricane returns to action and gets back to conference play next weekend. TU plays host to American Athletic Conference rival Houston for a three game series at the Collins Family Softball Complex, beginning with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday. The finale will be played at noon Sunday. The first game of the doubleheader on Saturday will be televised by ESPNU.