TULSA, Okla. – Addison Barnard, Madison Perrigan and Ryleigh Buck all hit home runs to drive in all seven Wichita State runs as the Shockers overpowered UCF 7-4 Saturday to win the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
Barnard was chosen as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after her two-run shot in the third inning, her school-record 21st of the year, put the Shockers on the board Saturday and came after her 3-for-3 showing in Friday’s semifinal win against Tulsa. Barnard had four hits and scored four runs in the Shockers’ two tournament games.
The teams combined for five home runs Saturday as UCF’s Jazmine Esparza went 2-for-4 with two round-trippers.
After Barnard had kick-started the Wichita State lineup with her line drive home run around the left field foul pole in the second inning, Perrigan gave the Shockers the lead for good with a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth. Buck followed with a two-run blast to left-center as part of the Shockers’ five-run fifth inning that effectively put the game away.
Esparza had staked the Knights to an early 2-0 lead when she drilled a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center for her eighth two-run home run of the season. She added a solo shot in the top of the sixth to bring UCF within three at 7-4.
The Knights (39-17-1) added to their early lead in the top of the third, gaining a 3-0 lead when Kaitlyn Jensen led off with a double over the centerfielder’s head and came home on Denali Schappacher’s base hit to left.
Wichita State (39-11-1) answered in the bottom of the third when No. 9 hitter Bailey Urban drew a leadoff walk and Barnard, the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, took her 0-1 pitch over the fence to make it 3-2.
Perrigan’s go-ahead home run came after Sydney McKinney hit a one-out single through the infield and Barnard walked on four pitches. Perrigan drilled the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to give Wichita State a 5-3 lead. Neleigh Herring followed with a base hit to right, setting table for Buck, who drew a full count before blasting a shot off the light tower in left-center to give the Shockers a 7-3 advantage.
After Esparza’s second home run brought UCF back within one in the top of the sixth, the Knights had runners at second and third with two outs after Shannon Doherty’s double to right. But Wichita State starter Bailey Lange got Justene Molina to grounder to shortstop to end the threat.
UCF made another late push to tie it with two outs in the top of the seventh as Schappacher reached on an infield hit and made it to third on Jada Cody’s ground ball hit to the third baseman. That brought Esparza back to the plate, but Shocker reliever Caitlin Bingham retired the Knight slugger on a grounder to third to end the game.
McKinney was the only player with two hits for Wichita State, which saw seven players account for the Shockers’ eight hits. Lange got the win in the circle after she allowed six hits and four runs in six innings, improving to 21-6 on the year and 2-0 in the American Championship. Bingham worked a scoreless seventh inning for her third save.
UCF was led by Esparza and Schappacher, who had two hits each. Alea White took the loss, falling to 20-7.
Most Outstanding Player
Addison Barnard, OF, Wichita State
All-Tournament Team
Gianna Mancha, P, UCF
Jazmine Esparza, IF, UCF
Denali Schappacher, OF, UCF
Allyse Volpe, OF, UCF
Bethaney Keen, IF, USF
Chenise Delce, P/DP, Tulsa
Addison Barnard, OF, Wichita State
Ryleigh Buck, IF, Wichita State
Bailey Lange, P, Wichita State
Sydney McKinney, IF, Wichita State
Lauren Mills, IF, Wichita State
Madison Perrigan, C, Wichita State