East Carolina University
Tulsa
Softball Splits Doubleheader With Tulsa
April 08, 2006 | Softball
April 8, 2006
TULSA, Okla. --- Beth Nolan went 2-for-4 and drove in the game-winning run to give East Carolina a 3-2 win over Tulsa in game one of a Conference USA doubleheader Saturday at the Donna J. Hardesty Softball Complex.
Julie Fennell (9-5) tossed a two-hit shutout in game two to lead the Golden Hurricane to a 4-0 victory over the Pirates.
ECU (29-18, 3-8) trailed Tulsa, 2-0, in game one, before pitcher Keli Harrell (17-11) buckled down and held opposing hitters to just two hits in the final 6.2 innings to earn her fourth consecutive victory.
The Pirates cut their deficit in half scoring a run in the fifth as Erin St. Ledger doubled down the right field line to plate Ashley Quick, who reached with a one-out double.
The game remained 2-1 until the seventh when St. Ledger started the Pirates rally with a one-out double. One out later, Jessica Johnson's base hit through the box plated the tying-run. Paige Baggett then pushed Johnson to second with another single before Nolan drove her home with the game-winning run on a base hit to center field.
The Pirates tallied 10 hits, reaching double digit hits for the third time in the past four games. TU starter Maren Genow (12-6) yielded all 10 hits and struck out eight Pirate batters, while suffering the loss.
Game two belonged to Fennell (9-5), who struck out six and allowed just one runner to reach second base.
Brently Bridgeforth (3-5) took the loss for ECU allowing three runs on three hits with five base-on-balls in four innings of work.
Tulsa (25-13, 10-4) opened the scoring with a run in third inning before Julie Shaffer hit a two-run home run in the fifth to give her team a 3-0 advantage. Shaffer scored again in the sixth after Katie Torres doubled to set the final margin.
Baggett and St. Ledger combined to record the Pirates' two hits.
The two teams will conclude their three-game Conference USA series Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. EDT.
