USF 4, UConn 0 (Game 1); USF 5, UConn 3 (Game 2)
USF swept its doubleheader against UConn on Thursday for its fourth straight series win, 10th and 11th straight wins in conference play. The Bulls struck early in both games, scoring single runs in the first two innings of game one to set up a 4-0 win before a two-run first inning in the second game of the day led to a 5-3 victory.
Bethaney Keen and Meghan Sheehan had RBI singles in the first and second frames, respectively, to set the Bulls on top in the opener before Macy Cook and Kelsey Lay had run-scoring hits of their own in the seventh. Georgina Corrick struck out 15 and held UConn to five hits in the opener. Cook’s two-run homer in the top of the first inning put USF on top in the second game, while she added her third RBI of the game in the seventh with a groundout. Nicole Doyle earned the win with 4.1 innings of work, and Corrick earned the save with two outs in the seventh.
Briana Marcelino and Alexis Lemus each had two hits for UConn in game one, while Jill Stockley took the loss after allowing seven hits and four runs (one earned). The second game saw eight different Huskies tally a hit each, with Olivia Sappington collecting a solo homer in the fourth and driving in a second run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Maura Glatczak had an RBI single in the fourth as well. Marybeth Olson took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
Tulsa 4, UCF 2
Tulsa rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take game one of the three-game American Athletic Conference series against UCF, 4-2, on Thursday night at the Collins Family Softball Complex. Alexis Perry hit a go-ahead double in the four-run frame for the Golden Hurricane, while Tori Stafford also had a run-scoring two-bagger in the inning. The late offense helped Kassidy Scott improve to 8-4 in the circle after she allowed just one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts.
Cassady Brewer finished with two of UCF’s five hits, including a double, while Takiya London also put up a pair of hits in the loss. Alea White tossed seven innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out three.
Wichita State 8, ECU 0
Scoring in three straight innings, Wichita State won its sixth straight conference game on Thursday night at Wilkins Stadium, defeating ECU 8-0. Bailee Nickerson, Sydney McKinney and Laurie Derrico each had two hits and Erin McDonald came up with her 11th win of the season, only allowing four hits while striking out three batters.
Ashleigh Inae was 2-for-2 to pace the Pirates and Rachel McCollum drew a pair of walks. Erin Poepping was touched up for five runs on six hits in just 2.1 innings of work in the loss.