Wichita State 9, UCF 8
Bailey Lange started in the circle, the conference leader in looking strikeouts did just that to end the UCF bats in the first; Mackenzie Wright and Asea Webber led off the Shocker bats with two straight walks in the bottom half. Bailee Nickerson knocked a single into right field to get two home for an early Wichita State lead. In the bottom half of the third, the Shockers pushed the lead to 4-1. Paige Luellen singled down the left field line with Lange crushing her second home run in two games over the center field fence to get both home. In the top of the eighth the Wichita State defense collapsed with three singles and two errors getting three Knights home to give UCF an 8-5 lead before the Shockers rallied. Laurie Derrico led off with an infield single to third before Buck crushed a first pitch home run that brushed the glove of the outfielder before falling over the left field fence to cut the score to 8-7. Luellen then singled to get on base to let Lange catch all of the ball and watch it sail over the right field fence for a walk-off home run to give Wichita State the 9-8 victory.
Memphis 1, UConn 0
A solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning by Brooke Lee proved to be the only score of the contest, as the University of Memphis softball team downed UConn Friday evening by a score of 1-0. Memphis improved to 32-15 on the year and 7-6 in American Athletic Conference play. In addition to inching closer to the all-time record for wins in a single-season, another record was broken Friday evening at the Tigers Softball Complex. With a single up the middle in the third inning, Kyler Trosclair Klatt recorded her 238th career hit at Memphis. Lindsay Crowdus set the previous record in 2017. Molly Smith won her 20th game in the circle with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Mariah Nichols came in relief in the top of the sixth inning for Smith and walked away with her third save of the evening.
USF 7, ECU 3
USF posted a five-run seventh inning to rally back from a 3-2 deficit and defeat ECU, 7-3. In the fifth frame, senior Lauren Evans singled to right field, and was batted in on a perfectly placed double by Boyle. The Pirates responded with one run in the bottom of the fifth, and a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth for a 3-2 lead. Senior Amber Atkinson took the plate with two outs and runners on the corners. Her RBI single gave USF the tying run, and a single to centerfield by junior Lindsey Devitt gave USF the run it needed for the win. With a 4-3 lead, the Bulls weren't ready to slow down. Hartman walked to load the bases, and junior Samantha Worrell hit a 3-RBI double down the left field line. Cheyenne Eggens improved to 8-1 when she took the circle in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. The junior limited the damage in the sixth inning and retired all three batters in the seventh to protect USF's lead.
Houston 2, Tulsa 1
The University of Houston Softball team shutout Tulsa, 2-0, in its American Athletic Conference series opener on Friday night at Cougar Softball Stadium. With the win, the Cougars improve to 28-16 overall and 7-6 in The American, while the Golden Hurricane falls to 26-19 and 6-7. Sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen finished 2-for-3 at the plate, hitting her team-leading seventh home run of the season with a two-out, two-run shot over the wall in left center in the bottom of the third inning. In the circle, junior Savannah Heebner tossed a three-hitter to improve to 19-7. Heebner finished with no walk and two strikeouts. The complete-game shutout is the ninth for the native of Sedalia, Colo., and 18th overall of her career. Hitting for herself, Heebner finished 1-for-2 with a walk. With one out, senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton singled to center field. Two batters later, Queen hit a two-run homer to provide all the offense needed in the 2-0 final.
Wichita State 5, UCF 4
The Shocker bats started as they finished; a leadoff single by Wright in the first was followed by a Webber walk. Derrico's sacrifice bunt moved runners round with a deep double by Buck into left field making it 2-0 to Wichita State early. Caitlin Bingham knocked down the Knights in order in the second with a solo home run by Mackenzie Wright in the bottom half, her third of the season, pushing the lead to 3-0. In the sixth, a solo home run over left center cutting the Shocker lead to 3-1. A walk and two fielder's choices, including an error, loaded the bases with only the third single of the game for UCF, a shot straight up the middle, tying the game at 3-3. A walk loaded the bases with Bailey Klitzke replacing Bingham and finally getting out the inning after a fielder's choice got a runner home to give UCF a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Webber led off with a first pitch single into right field to get the tying run on base. Derrico wasted no time with another first pitch swing smoking the ball up and over the center field fence to give Wichita State the 5-4 walk-off home run win in back-to-back games.