UCF 6, Memphis 2
Behind the bat of Aubrey Johnson, UCF secured the series over Memphis with a 6-2 win on Sunday. Johnson finished the day 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI for the Knights, while Alea White picked up her 22nd win of the season and her 40th win in her young career giving up eight hits and two runs on 102 pitches. Memphis starter Bayleigh Wisher gave up three runs on 18 pitches in the first inning and lasted just one-third of the inning before Mariah Nichols was called in. The Knights' bats were hot from the start as Denali Schappacher singled to left to get on base for Johnson who blasted a home run over the left center field fence to go up 2-0 quickly. Kyra Klarkowski followed Johnson's home run with a single to left field then Kaitlyn Jensen drew a walk to put two runners on for UCF. Erin Emanuel hit a deep ball to right field, which was mishandled allowing two more runs to cross the plate for the Knights as they led 4-0. Memphis tacked on two runs in the third on four singles to make it a 4-2 game, but that would be all from the Tiger defense. UCF put together two more hits and a run in the fourth and again in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-2 for the eventual win.
Houston 6, Wichita State 3
Houston defeated Wichita State, 6-3, to win its American Athletic Conference series, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Cougar Softball Stadium. In the circle, junior Savannah Heebner improved to 18-7. The native of Sedalia, Colo., limited WSU to three runs on nine hits while walking and striking out three apiece. Houston’s Arielle James and Aspen Howie each singled in the rubber game. James finished 1-for-2 with a walk, hit by pitch and two runs scored, while Howie finished 1-3 with a walk, RBI and run scored. In total, the Cougars racked up five hit by pitches. Senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton recorded two, while James, sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen and junior right fielder Maya Thomas each had one. Crumpton, who leads The American and entered the weekend ranked sixth in the nation, has 19 total hit by pitches on the season.
Tulsa 3, USF 1
Samantha Pochop allowed just one run and Tulsa scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally past USF, 3-1, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Collins Family Softball Complex. Pochop struck out six and improved to 8-6 on the campaign as the Golden Hurricane moved to 26-17 overall and 6-6 in American Athletic Conference play. Haley Meinen delivered the go-ahead hit with a two-RBI single in the sixth, while Julia Hollingsworth aided the offense with a pair of hits, including her fourth triple of the season. Meanwhile, Amber Atkinson drove in the lone run for the Bulls, while Cheyenne Eggens gave up just two hits in 4.2 scoreless innings. USF grabbed the upper-hand in the top of the first with two two-out hits for a 1-0 lead. Macy Cook doubled and then touched home on Atkinson's single to left field for the early advantage. Hollingsworth started the TU half of the frame with a bunt single, but Eggens would go on to retire the next 14 Hurricane batters that she faced. Pochop matched Eggens' effort in the circle as she did not allow more than one baserunner in an inning the rest of the day.