Memphis Falls in Two Close Contests at Tulsa

Friday, April 6

Tulsa, Okla.

5 PM

University of Memphis

11-29, 0

Tulsa

26-7, 0

Memphis

Tulsa

Apr 06, 2012 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

April 6, 2012

Game 1 Box Score&nbsp|&nbspGame 2 Box Score

Live Coverage
Apr. 7	at Tulsa	12:00 pm (CT)	GameTracker	Watch

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

TULSA, Okla. -- The University of Memphis softball team lost both games of a doubleheader at Tulsa, falling 4-2 in game one and 2-0 in the second game on Friday afternoon.

Memphis (11-29, 2-12 C-USA) rallied back from a 2-0 deficit in game one against the Conference USA leaders with a pair of solo home runs from Jessica Phillips and Ashleigh King. But a two-run walk-off dinger by Lacey Middlebrooks with two outs in the bottom of the seventh gave Tulsa (26-7, 10-1 C-USA) the victory.

Middlebrooks then pitched a three-hit shutout in game two as Memphis fell 2-0. Laura Curtisled the Tigers with a 2-for-3 performance, including a double.

The two teams will conclude the three-game series on Saturday with a noon contest.

Game One
The University of Memphis battled back from an early 2-0 deficit but fell 4-2 in game one on a walk-off two-out home run by Lacey Middlebrooks in the bottom of the seventh.

The Tigers had solo home runs from Jessica Phillips and Ashleigh Kingto knot up the score at 2-2. Memphis loaded the bases in both the second and sixth innings, but were unable capture the big hit with runners on base.

Sophomore Ellen Roberts(6-14) suffered the loss for the U of M. She allowed four runs on 11 hits in six and two-third innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Despite giving up the 11 hits, the Australian native effectively pitched out of jams through most of the game with the only extra base hit being the one that ended the game.

Aimee Creger (13-2) picked up the victory in the circle. Creger allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six with one walk.

Tulsa took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Golden Hurricane loaded the bases on singles by Jill Barrett and Samantha Cobb and a walk to Middlebrooks with two outs. Barrett scored the first run in the game on a wild pitch.

Memphis followed by loading the bases with nobody out in the top of the second. A walk to Phillips to begin the inning was followed by back-to-back fielder's choice bunts from Roberts and Amber Lindahlwith nobody retired on either hit. But Creger struck out two and got another out on a foul out to first to hold the Tigers scoreless.

Another run in the bottom of the second increased Tulsa's lead to 2-0. Cassidy Bowen, Cierra Hughes and Caitlin Everett recorded three-straight singles to load the bases with one out. Barrett struck out looking for the second out, but Cobb singled through the left side to score Bowen from third. Hughes was thrown out at home trying to score on the play to end the inning.

Phillips put Memphis on the board with the Tigers' first hit in the game, a solo home run to center field to lead off the fourth. The homer is the second on the season for Phillips and 24th in her career.

In the next inning, King hit a one-out solo home run to left center to tie the score at 2-2. It was the first collegiate home run for King.

Memphis loaded the bases in the top of the sixth on three-straight two-out hits by Roberts, Lindahl and Libby Goranson. The Tigers tried to score the go-ahead run on a ball that went off the glove of Bowen behind the plate. But the ball bounced favorably off the backstop for TU and pinch runner Jami Millerwas retired at home to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Barrett led off the inning with a bunt single. Roberts retired the next two batters and had a full count on Middlebrooks. After fouling several pitches off, Middlebrooks hit the 13th pitch of the at bat over the left field fence for a walk-off two-run homer to give Tulsa the victory.

Game Two
Tulsa scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings to defeat Memphis 2-0 in game two and earn the doubleheader sweep.

Memphis recorded three hits and stranded five runners on base in the shutout by game one's offensive star Lacey Middlebrooks. Laura Curtisled the Tigers with 2-for-3 performance that included her third double of the season.

Freshman Jordan Richwood(3-8) allowed two runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks in the loss for Memphis. Middlebrooks improved to 10-3 on the season, allowing no runs on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Cassidy Bowen drove in the first run of the game with a solo home run to left in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Tulsa a 1-0 lead. The Golden Hurricane added a second run in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI double by Caitlin Everett to score pinch runner Emma Horton from third.

Memphis had an opportunity to score the first run of the game in the top of the third after Morgan Mosby was hit by the pitch and Curtis doubled to left with one out. But Middlebrooks got Sara Pearson to strike out and Jessica Phillipsto ground out to first to end the threat.