Tulsa Drops Series Finale to Central Florida

Originally Published: Apr 25, 2010 1:39 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

ORLANDO, Florida -- The Tulsa softball team dropped its second straight game to the University of Central Florida 2-1 Sunday.

Tulsa (26-19, 9-5) threatened late, cutting the Knights' (29-20, 13-7) lead to one run in the final inning and putting a runner in scoring position with two outs on the board. UCF’s pitcher Ashleigh Cole (18-12) finished out the game and ended the Golden Hurricane threat.

Cole was dominant until the final inning of the game and only giving up five hits.

The Golden Knights scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the third on a Natalie Lang single that scored Tiffany Lane. With two outs in the next inning, Mary Helen Tyler singled to the short stop to bring Hillary Barrow home for a 2-0 lead.

That would end Jackie Laurence’s day (11-7) after four innings.

The top of the seventh brought Tulsa’s only score of the day, and a scare for Central Florida. With one out, Skylar Swanson reached on a fielder’s choice to advance Jessica Stoelke to third. In the next at-bat, Caitlin Everett singled down the left field line to bring Stoelke home and bring the Golden Hurricane to within one run.

Lauren Lindsey followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to advance Swanson to third and put the Golden Hurricane in position to tie, but Samantha Cobb hit a fly ball to center field to end the game.

Tulsa tries to get back to winning Saturday at the Hardesty Complex against UTEP.