Tulsa sweeps doubleheader from ECU softball

GREENVILLE, N.C. (ECU) – Tulsa’s pitching staff tossed two shutouts Friday as the Golden Hurricane defeated East Carolina 3-0 and 7-0 in an American Athletic Conference doubleheader at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.

The Pirates (11-27, 2-12 AAC) and Tulsa (19-10, 10-3 AAC) continue the series Saturday with a single contest at 10:30 a.m.

Game One: Tulsa 3, East Carolina 0

Chenise Delce took a perfect game into the fifth inning and Tulsa scored three runs in the final two innings to win the opener.

Delce (5-5) allowed just one hit in the complete-game effort while striking out 13 batters. Kama Woodall (6-14) was charged with the loss, tossing her 10th complete game of the season. She allowed three runs on 11 hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Haley Morgan and Aubree Seaney each posted three hits for the visitors while Seaney also drove in a run. Bailey Ledvina recorded the only Pirate hit.

Tulsa put up an early threat in the top of the second with Sarah Briers doubled with one out, advancing Imani Edwards to third. Woodall kept the game scoreless, however, fanning Kyndal Pirtle and coaxing an infield pop up off the bat of Kylie Norwood.

Ledvina broke up Delce’s perfect game in the bottom of the fifth with a flare single to left before the Golden Hurricane struck for the game’s first run in the top of the sixth via a Briers RBI single. Tulsa capped the scoring in the top of the seventh with a pair of RBI singles by Delce and Seaney.

Game Two: Tulsa 7, East Carolina 0

The Golden Hurricane plated two runs in the first inning on the way to its second shutout of the day. ECU managed seven hits, but could not push across a run.

Samantha Pochop (8-1) threw six innings, scattering the seven hits while striking out six against no walks. Erin Poepping (3-8) surrendered five runs (four earned) on five hits in 6.2 innings of work. She walked six and struck out three.

Chandley Garner went 3-for-3 with a double in the setback while Tulsa received a two-hit effort from Edwards who was one of seven Golden Hurricane batters to drive in a run.

Norwood began the game with a triple before Morgan was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. An error allowed Norwood to score while Morgan crossed home on a groundout later in the frame to leave Tulsa with a 2-0 advantage. Delce would tack on a run to the Golden Hurricane lead in the top of the third on the strength of an RBI double.

Rachel McCollum and Garner singled consecutively to lead off the bottom of the fourth. However, a lineout to center, a fielder’s choice force out and a strikeout kept the Pirates from scoring.

Tulsa put the game away in the top of the fifth, netting four runs on four hits to provide the final seven-run margin.