NCAA BRACKET
Wichita State 8, Oklahoma State 2
The Wichita State softball team scored eight runs on 13 hits to take down Oklahoma State in game one of the NCAA Regional Round. The win gives the Shockers their second NCAA victory in school history; both under head coach Kristi Bredbenner.
The Shocker bats went down in order in the first with leadoff Cowgirl Vanessa Shippy hit by a pitch to get on base in the bottom half. A single hit straight at starting pitcher Bailey Lange bounced into right field to move runners to the corners with no outs. A fielding error got a Cowgirl home with another single adding a second for the only two runs Lange would give up in the game.
In the third the Shocker bats took over. American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Mackenzie Wright led off with a deep double into left-center. Laurie Derrico was hit by a pitch before a Madison Perrigan single to load the bases for the second straight inning. An Asea Webber fielder's choice plated the first run for WSU. Buck singled up the middle to tie the game up with a Luellen single, again up the middle, scoring two to give the Shockers the lead for good.
Lange took over for the rest of the game, retiring 12-of-14 Cowgirls while getting a runner home in the sixth with a double into left center to make the final scoreline 8-2.
In her first NCAA appearance, Lange got the complete game win (19-12), only giving up one earned run and striking out three. Buck led the bats by going 3-for-5 with two RBI, Luellen went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
The Shockers move to 3-0 against Oklahoma State this season and 31-21 overall.
Tomorrow Wichita State will face Arkansas at 2:30 p.m. ET in the winners bracket with the game broadcast live through ESPN or the SEC Network.
Tulsa 9, Missouri 1 (5 inn.)
Rylie Spell tied a career-high with five RBIs, including her first-ever grand slam, as Tulsa opened play at the NCAA Norman Regional with a 9-1 run-rule win over Missouri on Friday afternoon at Marita Hynes Field.
With the win, the Golden Hurricane (34-23) will face either No. 4 overall seed Oklahoma at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 19.
Spell went 2-for-3 with an RBI single as part of a five-run third inning before her grand slam an inning later. Shelby Estocado also had two hits and Haley Meinen went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Tulsa offense, which saw all nine batters reach base during the contest. In addition, TU scored all nine of its runs with two outs.
The strong offensive effort backed up Emily Watson, who improved to 24-11 in the circle after she allowed just an unearned run on four hits and a walk. The senior threw just 69 pitches and recorded three strikeouts.
The Hurricane left runners stranded in the top of the first inning, but put together five hits with two outs in the top of the third to jump ahead 5-0.
The Tigers got an unearned run in the bottom of the frame, but Spell got that back and more in the top of the fourth.
Walks to Estocado and Briers were sandwiched around a single by Meinen to load the bases with one out for Spell, who launched the fourth pitch of her at-bat over the wall in center for a grand slam. The blast was the first grand slam of the season for the Hurricane and gave Tulsa a 9-1 advantage.
Ohio State 3, USF 1
USF fell to Ohio State, 3-1, in a pitcher's duel that went scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning. Freshman Georgina Corrick was the highlight of the game with seven strikeouts in her NCAA tournament debut.
The Buckeyes (35-14) got two runners on base in the first inning, but Corrick got the Bulls out of the jam when she left the runners stranded with a pair of strikeouts. In a similar instance, the freshman ace struck out two more to end the fifth inning with the bases loaded.
In the top of the third, the Bulls (38-22) got a good look when they loaded the bases with two outs. Senior Lauren Evans reached first on an error by Ohio State's third baseman, and senior Astin Donovan and junior Lindsey Devitt each walked to load the bases for the Bulls. A strikeout swinging ended the progress for USF.
Ohio State scored three on a deep double to right center in the bottom of the sixth inning, but USF had a chance in the seventh when a two-out double by Devitt scored freshman Jasmine Haynes who reached on the Bulls’ seventh walk of the game.
The Bulls will meet Bethune-Cookman in the Gainesville elimination bracket tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET.
Houston 1, Louisiana 0
The University of Houston Softball team shutout No. 21/22 Louisiana, 1-0, in the opening game of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional on Friday night at LSU’s Tiger Park.
With the decision, the Cougars, who are receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, improve to 37-20 overall and advance into the winner’s bracket, while the Ragin Cajuns fall to 38-15. The win is Houston’s first in NCAA Regional play since a 7-6 decision over Northwestern State in the Waco Regional on May 17, 2014.
Sophomore second baseman Arielle James lifted the Cougars to victory with a solo home run down the left-field line in the top of the fourth inning. James turned on the first pitch of the frame for her fourth long ball of the season.
In the circle, junior Savannah Heebner improved to 26-9. The native of Sedalia, Colo., walked three and struck two in her 13th shutout of the season, breaking her tie with Angel Shamblin (2007) for the second-most all-time at Houston in a single season. Overall, the victory is the 50th of her career, strengthening her hold of the second most all-time in program history.
Junior catcher Brooke Vannoy made her 107th-consecutive start behind the plate dating back to Houston’s 7-3 win over Boston College on Feb. 12, 2017, at Cougar Softball Stadium.
The game, which started at 3:04 p.m., had a 4:19 delay and resumed at 7:40 p.m.