TAMPA, Fla. – Riding 13 strikeouts by senior ace Emily Watson, defending champion and No. 6 seed Tulsa held off No. 3 Wichita State, 3-1, in the opening game of the 2018 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship on Thursday morning. The Golden Hurricane (31-23) will meet the winner of No. 2 Houston and No. 7 ECU in Friday’s semifinals.
Tulsa junior Julia Hollingsworth produced all three RBIs for her squad, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple. Watson spun a gem, with 12 of her 13 Ks on the game forcing the Shockers down swinging with no earned runs in the complete-game effort.