Saturday, April 8
South Florida 5, Tulsa 4 – Box Score
Wichita State 10, Memphis 2 – Box Score
East Carolina 12, Houston 8 – Box Score
Houston 7, East Carolina 6 – Box Score
Recaps
South Florida 5, Tulsa 4 – Box Score
TAMPA– The University of South Florida (25-18, 6-3 The American) softball team scored four runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (16-20, 2-4 The American) in the series finale on Saturday morning.
South Florida felt the pressure going into the bottom of the seventh inning, trailing 1-4. Alexa Galligani and Hallie Bryant got on base with a walk and a single. Back-to-back singles up the middle from Megan Pierro and Emilee Hanlon brought one run home and kept the bases loaded.
Kathy Garcia-Soto and Meghan Sheehan brought two more runs home to tie the game with a sacrifice fly and a single up the middle. Junior Rian Eigenmann pinch hit, and with a single to the shortstop, brought the winning run home.
The Bulls didn't get their first hit until the fifth inning when Marissa Trivelpiece stepped up to the plate. After watching two pitches, she hit her fourth homerun over the right-field wall. She cut Tulsa's lead to three runs.
Tulsa's four runs came in the top half of the fifth. One on a sacrifice fly and then a three-run home run.
Gabriella Nori pitched five innings and struck out four batters. Vivian Ponn pitched the remainder of the game, striking out one. She earned her second win of the season.
Wichita State 10, Memphis 2 – Box Score
MEMPHIS – No. 22 Wichita State scored 10 or more for the third straight game in a 10-3 win at Memphis Saturday afternoon, completing the series sweep.
Wichita State (34-7, 8-1 The American) has now won 10 straight games, marking the second time this season with 10 or more straight wins. Wichita State won a season-high 11 in a row back in late February-early March.
The Shockers have won 14 consecutive games in the series with the Tigers.
Sydney McKinney finished the series with another multi-hit game, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Addison Barnard homered for the second time in three games. She was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Lauren Lucas singled twice and drove in a run.
Sami Hood (two RBI), Lauren Mills, Bailey Urban (double, RBI), Lainee Brown and Krystin Nelson (triple, two runs) all recorded a hit. As a team, Wichita State pounded out 12 hits.
Alison Cooper only threw an inning in the start, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk. Alex Aguilar picked up her ninth win, throwing the final 6.0 innings. She struck out five and surrendered no runs on five hits.
Two batters into the game Wichita State found the scoring column. A leadoff bunt single from McKinney turned into a run on Barnard's RBI double in the very next at bat.
In the bottom of the first the Tigers grabbed their first lead of the series on a two-out, two-run double off the wall in right-center.
Wichita State did not trail for long, as Nelson tripled and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2. McKinney walked and stole a base to set up another RBI opportunity for Barnard, and the all-time home run leader delivered. Her 12th home run of the season was a no-doubter to center, putting the Shockers on top 4-2.
Memphis got a run back in the bottom half on a leadoff solo home run, signaling the end of the day for Cooper in the circle.
McKinney took the Tigers deep in the top of the third on her fifth homer of the season, making it 6-3.
Wichita State tacked on a single run in the fourth and fifth on an Urban RBI double, that missed a home run by mere inches, and a Lucas RBI single.
The final two runs came off the bat of Hood, who singled up the middle in the top of the seventh.
East Carolina 12, Houston 8 – Box Score
Houston 7, East Carolina 6 – Box Score
HOUSTON – The University of Houston softball team split its doubleheader against East Carolina to clinch the series win on Saturday at Cougar Softball Stadium. The series win clinched the victory in both conference sets so far this season.
Houston (18-18, 5-1 The American) fell short against East Carolina (23-17, 1-8 The American) in the first game of the day, 12-8, but rallied from behind in the weekend finale, 7-6, to earn the series win.
Game One – East Carolina 12, Houston 8
Graduate student Saleen Flores (0-1) earned the decision for Houston in her longest outing of the year, tossing three innings. Jordan Hatch (9-7) snagged the victory for East Carolina, tossing all 21 outs for the Pirates.
Game Two – Houston 7, East Carolina 6
Graduate student Kenna Wilkey (13-7) entered in relief to earn the win for the Cougars in game two, tossing eight strikeouts in her third appearance of the weekend. Addy Bullis (13-8) picked up her second decision for the Pirates in the series while tossing the complete game.