USF 8, UConn 0
USF senior Lauren Evans hit a leadoff home run to spark the Bulls' offense in an 8-0 shutout over UConn to kick off conference play on Friday. Freshman Georgina Corrick kept the Huskies at zero allowing just one hit in six innings. Evans set the tone with her home run in the first at-bat of conference play, and went a perfect 2-for-2 with four runs and one RBI. USF scattered nine hits including a pair of doubles from Macy Cook and one from sophomore Brooke Hartman who recorded three RBI. Junior Lindsey Devitt went 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI. Freshman Georgina Corrick threw a 1-hit, complete game shutout in her American Athletic Conference debut. She struck out six and didn't walk a single batter. She advanced to 7-4 on the season.
Freshman outfielder Hollis Wivell recorded UConn's lone hit, a liner up the left field line in the third inning off Corrick, but was stranded at first base. Freshman pitcher Marybeth Olson picked up the loss for the Huskies.
UCF 1, Tulsa 0
UCF sophomore Kyra Klarkowski delivered her first home run as a Knight, and the only run of the game against Tulsa giving the Knights the win over the Golden Hurricane. In the circle, Alea White pitched her 14th complete game and fifth shutout of the season, giving up only four hits and striking out a pair. After a scoreless five innings, Klarkowski stepped up to the plate and smashed her collegiate career home run to give the Knights the 1-0 lead and the eventual win. The homer would turn out to be the only UCF hit of the game.
Tulsa was held to just four hits, including three over the first two innings, as Julia Hollingsworth, Morgan Neal, Sarah Briers and Rylie Spell each notched singles. Pitcher Emily Watson took the loss despite striking out 10 UCF batters.
ECU 3, Houston 2 (8 Innings)
ECU redshirt senior catcher Alex Mycek belted a walkoff home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning Friday night to propel the Pirates to a 3-2 extra-inning victory over Houston in the teams' American Athletic Conference opener at the ECU Softball Stadium.
The Pirates opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on redshirt sophomore infielder Tate McClellan's RBI single to center field before junior outfielder Ashley Weingartz roped a RBI single up the middle to plate McClellan from second and leave ECU with a 2-0 lead after the first frame. The Cougars were able to tie the game in the top of the second via an Aspen Howie RBI double and a passed ball that later plated Howie from third. The pitchers settled in from there, putting up zeros all the way to the eighth inning.
For Houston, junior Savannah Heebner took the loss in the circle, scattering 10 hits and giving up three runs while striking out three and walking none. Howie highlighted the offense with an RBI double to left center in the top of the second inning. Cougars Kaylin Crumpton, Mariah Garcia, Arielle James, Sarah Queen and Lindsey Stewart all recorded singles, respectively.
Memphis 3, Wichita State 2
Memphis continued to rewrite the history books after a 3-2 victory Friday evening on the road against Wichita State. The victory improved Memphis to 22-7 on the year, which marks the best start in program history. The Tigers found themselves down early after Wichita State launched a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning by Laurie Derrico. Memphis had an answer with two runs in the top of the third, ignited by Kyler Trosclair Klatt's eighth triple of the season. Baylee Smith and Delaney Smith both recorded hits in the Memphis third inning.
The Shockers tied up the contest with Bailee Nickerson's solo home run in the fourth, but again, Memphis had an answer. In the top of the fifth inning, Addison Maxwell drove in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to left field. Trosclair Klatt was the game-winning run after reaching base on her third hit of the ball game. Molly Smith earned her 13th victory of the season in a complete game effort. Smith struck out four and allowed just four Shocker hits.