ECU 5, UConn 1
The ECU softball team completed its second-ever American Athletic Conference series sweep Saturday, winning both ends of a doubleheader over UConn 5-1 and 7-5 at Burrill Family Field. After ECU stranded five runners on base in the first four innings, including two in scoring position in the top of the fourth, UConn scratched across the first run of the contest on a weak two-out infield single to grab a 1-0 advantage after four complete. The Pirates took the lead in the top of the fifth. Seniors Meredith Burroughs and Alex Mycek drew walks before junior Ashley Weingartz shot a double down the left field line that scored Burroughs and knotted the score at one. Senior Karlie Smith then battled back from down 1-2 in the count and launched a 2-2 pitch over the wall in center field – a three-run home run that put ECU ahead 4-1. Redshirt sophomore Tate McClellan added a RBI double in the top of the seventh to provide the final four-run margin of victory.
ECU 7, UConn 5
A sacrifice fly off the bat of McClellan and a Weingartz RBI double staked the Pirates to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Huskies responded in kind with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. ECU pulled ahead for good in the top of the second, using a bit of two-out magic to score two runs and build a 4-2 cushion. With two away, freshman Tyler King was hit by a pitch then scored on a Ashleigh Inae double to right field. Burroughs then singled to center to score Inae and give the Purple and Gold the two-run edge. UConn attempted to rally in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with no outs. Redshirt junior Ashley Cruise was summoned from the bullpen to put out the fire and she did just that – inducing a grounder that was thrown home for the force out and striking out the next two batters to keep the Pirates two-run lead intact. Burroughs belted her 12th home run of the season to right center in the top of the sixth, a three-run bomb that extended the ECU advantage to 7-2. The long ball would prove decisive as the Huskies scored three runs in their final at bat but fell short of completing the comeback when Poepping retired the final batter of the game.
UCF 5, Memphis 4
The Knights collected five runs on seven hits in a 5-4 win over Memphis on Saturday at the UCF Softball Complex in an American Athletic Conference battle. The win for UCF evens the series at one win each heading into Sunday's rubber match. Megan Greenwell and Kyra Klarkowski each recorded two hits with Klarkowski driving in a pair of runs. Denali Schappacher, Aubrey Johnson, and Brooke Barlow added a hit each in the win. The Knights struck first after Schappacher led off the first inning with a triple to right center and crossed the plate off a Cassady Brewer sacrifice fly. The Tigers grabbed three runs in the top of the second off three hits to take a 3-1 lead from the Knights, but their lead wouldn't last long as the Black and Gold threw up four runs in the bottom of the second. The Knights continued the inning by loading the bases after Schappacher walked and Brewer reached on a fielder's choice. Johnson collected a bases-loaded RBI after drawing a walk to make it a 3-2 ballgame. A wild pitch from Mariah Nichols allowed Schappacher to knot the score, 3-3. With Klarkowski at the plate, the sophomore delivered a two-out single to bring in Johnson and Brewer to give the Knights the 5-3 lead and never looked back. Cierra Word picked up the win after coming in for starter Kamryn Toney. Word threw two-and-a-third innings giving up one run on two hits, while Alea White registered her second save of the season striking out four Tigers.
USF 8, Tulsa 6
USF battled frigid weather and a tough Tulsa team to earn its fourth straight series win. The Bulls remain the only team in The American to take every series of conference play so far. The Golden Hurricane took a lead with a solo shot over the center field fence in the second inning, but senior Lauren Evans hit the gap to the right to set up for an RBI single by junior Macy Cook that tied the game, 1-1. Tulsa added three runs in the bottom of the third, and the Bulls scored three of their own in the top of the fifth. USF cemented the win with a 2-run seventh inning that featured 3 hits. Brooke Hartman recorded her second hit of the game, and freshman Jasmine Haynes made it home when Fung hit a single to right field and advance to third on an error. Mia Fung scored on an RBI single to right field by Evans for the Bulls' final run on the game. Senior Hannah Parker entered the circle in the bottom of the fourth and sent down three straight batters with the help of a focused defense. She improved to 6-4 on the season.
Wichita State 6, Houston 5
The Wichita State softball team rallied from a four-run hole entering the sixth inning to defeat the Houston Cougars 6-5 and even the series heading into the final matchup on Sunday. In the bottom half of the fourth, the Shockers went through three pitchers and the entire Cougar batting lineup. Three straight walks loaded the bases with a wild pitching getting the first runner home. A single and two more walks added two more runs for Houston to push their lead to 3-0 with the Shockers finally getting out the inning with a groundout to second base. The Wichita State bats woke up in the fifth. A two out double by Mckenzie Weber, who had come in to pitch in the fourth, got a runner to second. Madison Perrigan smoked a shot into deep left for another double to get her home and cut the lead to 3-1. In the bottom half two walks got runners on base with a single and an error pushing the Houston lead back to 5-1. The Shockers rallied in the sixth. Wright singled with a hot shot straight at the third base with two straight walks by Asea Webber and Laurie Derrico loading the bases. A triple into the right field corner by Buck got three home with a fielder's choice on a Paige Luellen at-bat getting Buck to home plate via an obstruction call to tie the game at 5-5. In the seventh the Shockers completed the comeback. Bailey Lange led off with a single into left field, the sacrifice bunt by Mackenzie Wright moving her to second and a wild pitch to third. Webber knocked a sacrifice fly into left field to get Lange home and give the Shockers a 6-5 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.