USF 4, UCF 1
USF defeated UCF Friday night, 4-1, with a grand slam by Mia Fung and 12 strikeouts from freshman Georgina Corrick.The Bulls (33-18, 11-5) were on fire in Friday night's War on I-4, led by Corrick who retired 18 straight batters in her 12-strikeout night. The freshman held the Knights (30-20, 8-8) to just three hits in her eighth complete game to earn the win in her War on I-4 debut. A trio of singles loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning with no outs for USF. Fung hit an incredible home run over left field to score Samantha Worrell, Amber Atkinson and Brooke Hartman in her first career grand slam. UCF tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases. Corrick struck out two in the inning to close the game with a strike out swinging.
Wichita State 5, ECU 1
Mackenzie Wright's two-run home run and four RBI game helped the Wichita State softball team defeat ECU 5-1 in game one of the series in Greenville. Madison Perrigan got Wichita State's first base hit of the game in the fourth, a shot straight up the middle, with Wright getting her home by crushing a 210 foot shot over the left field fence for a two-run home run, her fourth of the season and second in three games. Lange got her third and fourth strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Pirates off the board, Bailee Nickerson reached base for the second time of the evening in the fifth after being hit by a pitch. A ground out moved her to second with Lange doubling into left center to get her home and push the lead to 4-0. In the seventh Lange drew a two-out walk, Perrigan followed up with a single into right field to get runners on the corners with an error on a Mauriana Jamele strike pushing the lead to 5-1. Wright singled into left field for her second hit of the day with a pop out stranding the three Shockers. Bailey Lange (16-10) got her seventh strikeout of the game in the seventh with the Shockers getting the win to move to 28-17 on the year, 10-6 in The American.
Memphis 3, Tulsa 0
A complete game shutout by Molly Smith and a three-run home run by Baylee Smith lifted the University of Memphis softball team to a 3-0 victory over Tulsa Friday evening. The Tigers improve to 35-16 on the year and 9-7 in American Athletic Conference play. Molly Smith started off strong in the circle, striking out five in the first two innings of play. She finished the night with eight, which marked a season-high in a conference game. With the score tied at 0-0 in a real pitcher's duel between Smith and Tulsa's Emily Watson, the Tigers took the only lead of the contest off the bat of freshman outfielder Baylee Smith in the third inning. Smith recorded her second home run of the season to left center field, driving in Erin Parker and Kyler Trosclair Klatt. Smith improved to 23-6 on the year and is one win shy of matching the season record for wins in a year. She also sits just four strikeouts shy of matching the strikeout career record set by Ellen Roberts.