TU Softball: Golden Hurricane Finishes Sweep of East Carolina

Freshman Shelby Estocado went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, and senior Bailey Erwin pitched a one-hitter to lead the Tulsa softball team to an 8-0 (5 inn.) series sweep-clinching victory at East Carolina Sunday at ECU Softball Stadium.

The Golden Hurricane scored twice in the third and fourth innings, and added four runs in the fifth to improve to 26-15 overall and 8-4 in American Athletic Conference play. Erwin (12-3) struck out four batters and allowed only a single in the third inning. TU totaled 12 hits, including two each from Julie Kernen, Maddie Withee and Maggie Withee.

Senior Erica Sampson's solo home run with one out in the third inning put the Hurricane on the board. It was senior's eighth homer of the season, and her second of the weekend. Maggie Withee followed with a single through the right side, and scored on Kernen's double to right center. Estocado hit her fifth homer of the year, a two-run shot to left center in the fourth to extend the lead to 4-0.

Estocado then singled home Brittany Walker in the fifth, and Maddie Withee scored on Kaitlin Allen's base hit to right field. Jodi Edmiston reached on an error, plating Estocado, and later crossed the plate on a single by Maggie Withee to make the score 8-0.

East Carolina's only baserunner aside from its third inning single was a hit batter in the first inning. Starter Lydia Ritchie (0-4) pitched 3.0 innings, and allowed two runs on four hits to take the loss for the Pirates (11-32, 3-9 American).

The Golden Hurricane will play four non-conference games this week, beginning with a 5 p.m. Wednesday contest against in-state rival Oklahoma State at the Collins Family Softball Complex. TU and OSU will then turn around and play Thursday at 7 p.m. in Stillwater, in a makeup of the originally scheduled March 25 game. The Hurricane then plays host to Kansas next weekend, with a single game Saturday and Sunday. The games begin at 2 p.m. each day.