Tulsa's late rally stuns Kansas, 4-3

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas softball maintained a lead through six innings, but Tulsa rallied in the seventh to stun the Jayhawks, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark at Rock Chalk Park.
 
It took the Jayhawks (16-11) three innings to a put a run on the scoreboard, but finally the offense broke through with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the third. Kansas held on to the lead until Tulsa rallied in the final frame for three runs with one out and stole the lead.
 
Kansas tallied six hits in its third game of the weekend, while Tulsa registered 11. Freshman infielder Becki Monaghan and junior infielder Jessie Roane recorded multi-hit performances with two hits each. Roane finished the day 2-for-4 with a RBI, while Monaghan went 2-for-3.
 
In her third start of the weekend, Alexis Reid tossed the first of five shutout innings with the help of the right side of the infield turning two. Freshmen Madison Sykes and Monaghan turned a double play to end the frame. Reid dropped to 9-5 in the circle with the loss. She struck out one, while allowing three earned runs and two walks.Senior Taylor Dodson
 
In the bottom half of the first, junior outfielder Erin McGinley recorded the first KU hit of the day after sliding into second base for a double. A ground out advanced McGinley to third base, but the go ahead run remained 60 feet from home plate as Tulsa retired the side without harm.
 
Kansas threatened again in the second inning after a pair of Jayhawks reached base with two outs. Monaghan recorded an infield single to extend the frame and senior shortstop Taylor McElhaney moved Monaghan into scoring position with a walk, but the Golden Hurricane once again got out of the inning without a run crossing home plate.
 
Tulsa filled the bases with two outs in the top of the third, but Reid and the Jayhawks got out of the bases loaded jam unscathed and the game stayed knotted up at zero.
 
The Jayhawks broke the scoreless streak in the third frame and put three runs on the scoreboard with a pair of hits. Senior outfielder Lily Behrmann led off the third with a walk and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from McGinley. Roane drove in the go ahead run with a single through the right side with her 27th RBI of the season, the most by a Jayhawk in 2017. Senior infielder Taylor Dodson extended KU’s lead, 3-1, with a two-run home to left centerfield. Dodson has hit a team-leading six long balls on the season.
 
Tulsa got on the scoreboard in the fourth with a solo home run to centerfield, cutting its deficit to two runs. The Golden Hurricane threatened to the lead in the top of the fifth and loaded the bases, but Reid and the Jayhawks got out of the jam without a run crossing home plate and kept it’s 3-1 advantage intact.
 
In the top of the seventh, Tulsa rallied for three runs to take its first lead of the ballgame. The Golden Hurricane took a 4-3 lead into the bottom half of the inning after recording a RBI single followed by a two-RBI double off the wall in left field.
 
Kansas entered the bottom half of the final inning down by a run, but KU couldn’t find an answer for Tulsa’s late-inning rally and the Golden Hurricane came from behind for a 4-3 victory.

UP NEXT
Kansas continues action at the Rock Chalk Challenge with Southeast Missouri State on Sunday, March 19 at 11:30 a.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Jayhawk Radio Network. 

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