Feb. 10, 2008

Creighton Box Score | North Texas Box Score

Denton, Texas- - The University of Tulsa softball team posted its second split in as many days to open the 2008 season at the Quality Inn & Suites/Point Bank Invitational. The Golden Hurricane dropped a 7-2 decision to Creighton at the start of the day then bounced back for a 6-4 victory over North Texas.

Against Creighton, TU scored the game's opening run with one in the first. Freshman Lauren Lindsay opened the contest with a walk. She would then score on an RBI single from senior Sara Dyer. However, the Bluejays countered with four straight unanswered runs in the first three innings.

The Hurricane cut into the deficit with a run in the top of the fourth. Junior Kailey Yarmer doubled to lead off the inning. She would later score on a one-out double by fellow junior Brooke Smart. CU would add three insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings for the final margin.

Freshman Jordan Kinard pitched the first inning and a third, taking the loss. She struck out two Blue Jays. Fellow freshman Lauren Menke pitched the final four and two-thirds of the game, also striking out a pair of CU batters in her first collegiate action.

The final game of the day seemed to be more of a marathon than a softball game. North Texas pulled out to an early 2-0 lead after a pair of unearned runs in the first and third innings. TU cut the UNT lead in half with a run in the fifth, before tying it in the sixth.

In the fifth, Smart led off the bottom of the inning with a single. She advanced to third on a double by freshman Vanessa Vice. While Smart was thrown out at the plate on a grounder from sophomore Christian Timmons, Vice was able to score on a sacrifice fly from freshman Lauren Menke. Dyer scored the tying run on a double by Smart.

After a scoreless seventh and eighth, the two teams scored twice in the ninth. TU had chances to score in the seventh, stranding a runner at second with two outs. In the eighth inning, TU stranded a runner at third with one out. In the TU ninth, Yarmer scored off a double by Smart. Smart later scored on a sacrifice fly from senior Lindsey Tower.

Tulsa held UNT scoreless in the top half of the 10th inning, then placed Menke at second base. After a sacrifice bunt from Lindsay, junior Stephanie Chomicki hit her first collegiate homerun with a one-out walk off special for the TU victory.

Tulsa (2-2) will return to action next weekend at the Campbell/Cartier Tournament in San Diego, Calif.