Friday, April 16
No. 25 Wichita State 0, No. 23 UCF 0 (11)
Due to the drop-dead rule and travel arrangements, No. 25 Wichita State and No. 23 UCF battled to a 0-0 tie Sunday afternoon.
Wichita State (32-5-1, 14-1-1) registered just the second game to end in a tie in school history. The Shockers and Jayhawks played to a 2-2 tie back on April 30, 1991.
Caitlin Bingham (8-1-1) threw another stellar game, allowing eight hits over a career-high 10.1 innings. She gave up only one walk and struck out three.
The Shockers were held to a season-low two hits with Sydney McKinney and Ryleigh Buck collecting a hit apiece.
Wichita State really only threatened to score one time, coming in the top of the sixth. McKinney led off with a bunt single to break up UCF's no-hit bid. Neleigh Herring reached on a catcher's interference and then Buck loaded the bases on an infield single. Bailee Nickerson would strike out in the next at-bat to end the inning.
UCF started the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff triple from Volpe, and would run themselves out of a potential game-winning run. With no outs and Volpe on third, the very next batter hit a deep fly ball to right, but Volpe didn't tag up. The next hitter would reach on an error, but Bingham escaped with a ground out and strikeout to keep the game knotted at 0-0.
The Knights again got a runner to third in the bottom of the 10th, but Bingham induced a lineout to retire the side.
UCF began the bottom of the 11th with a leadoff walk and then a one-out single put runners on the corners, but that would be where the game ended. The umpires enforced the drop-dead rule, ending the game with one out in the bottom of the 11th and a Knight on first and third.
Tulsa 11, Memphis 6/Tulsa 10, Memphis 2 (6)
Alexis Perry drives in 9 runs across two games to lead the Tulsa Golden Hurricane to a series sweep of the Memphis Tigers Sunday at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
Perry set a new single-game record for runs batted in during the first game of the day, driving in 7 Hurricane batters. She would finish the game 3-3 with a double, grand slam and a run scored.
She picked up right where she left off in game two of the double-header, going 1-3 with a two RBI double, while also scoring 2 runs.
To continue the trend of the series, the Hurricane used a consistent pitching front to combine with its' hot bats. Chenise Delce started the first game for the Hurricane, but Kylee Nash came in for relief after the first inning, picking up her second win of the season. Samantha Pochop closed things out for TU to capture her first save of her 2021 campaign.
Kassidy Scott started game two, throwing 4 innings and picking up her third win of the season. Sara Llamas-Howell threw 2 innings in relief, allowing only 1 run while striking out two Tigers batters.
The Hurricane improved to 17-10 on the season and 8-3 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Tigers fell to 7-29 on the year and 0-12 in AAC action.
Tulsa will be back in action on Tuesday, April 20 in a non-conference weekday matchup against intrastate foe #12 Oklahoma State at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN+. The Hurricane will look to even the score this season with the Cowgirls after falling 7-0 in Stillwater, Okla. on March. 7.
GAME 1
The Tigers jumped out to a quick two run lead against the Hurricane in the first inning, using an error and back-to-back doubles to score 2.
Tulsa fought back using a huge 2nd inning to take the lead. Aubree Seaney started things off with a 4-pitch walk, before Abby Jones singled to shortstop, putting two on for TU. With one out, Kyndal Norwood loaded the bases with a walk to bring Haley Morgan up. Morgan, being patient from the plate, drew a four pitch walk to give the Hurricane a run.
After a Tigers pitching change, Delce drew another 4-pitch walk to tie the game up for TU. Perry connected on her 6th home run of the year, sending the grand slam blast over the left field fence.
In the top of the 5th, Memphis crawled back into it by putting runners in scoring position with a single, error and sacrifice bunt. A two-out single and double scored three for Memphis, cutting the Hurricane lead to 6-5.
Tulsa answered in the bottom of the 5th, as Perry added to her RBI total, pushing across Norwood and Morgan with a double down the right field line. The runs extended the Hurricane lead to 8-5.
Tulsa loaded the bases to start the bottom half of the 6th by two singles and an error on the pitcher. Norwood drove in one run on a sacrifice fly to left field. After a Morgan walk, Delce drove in a run on a single to center field.
Perry recorded her 7th RBI, breaking the single-game RBI record, on a single through the left side to drive in Pirtle. The previous record of 6 runs batted in during a single game happed 6 times in TU history. The last time it happened was in 2014, as Julie Kernen drove in 6 at UTEP on April 27, 2013.
Delce drew the start for TU, going 1 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 runs and striking out a batter. Nash, who picked up her second career win, went 3.2 innings with 6 hits, 3 runs, none earned and 2 strike outs.
Pochop picked up her first save of the season, striking out 6 in 2.1 innings of work. She allowed only one hit and run which was not an earned run. The save gives her 7 all-time which is tied for 4th in TU history.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Memphis 2 0 0 0 3 1 0
Tulsa 0 6 0 0 3 3 X
WP: Nash, K. (2-1) LP: Lecompte, Z. (2-2)
S: Pochop, S. (1)
GAME 2
Tulsa came alive in the second inning of the series final, scoring 8 runs. Perry started the inning off with a walk, advancing to second on a wild pitch. Sarah Briers singled to third, putting two on with no outs for TU.
A Seaney single loaded the bases for TU, as the first run walked home after a patient at bat from Pirtle. A fielder's choice scored another Hurricane runner. Leading 2-0 with two outs in the inning, Norwood singled to load the bases. Morgan walked and Delce was hit by a pitch to score two more.
The Hurricane chased the Tigers' pitcher, bring up Briers with runners at second and third with two outs. Briers doubled down the right field line, scoring both runners and giving the Hurricane an 8-0 lead.
After the Tigers scored a run in the top of the third, the Hurricane answered with an RBI single from pinch hitter Makayla Jackson, extending the lead to 9-1.
Memphis used a two-out double and single to score another run, but Tulsa walked it off in the bottom of the 6th on a Seaney single up the middle, scoring Norwood.
Scott picked up her 3rd win of the season, throwing 4 innings allowing 1 earned run on three hits while striking out 1. Llamas-Howell went 2 innings in relief striking out 2 batters and allowing 1 run on 4 hits.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Memphis 0 0 1 0 1 0
Tulsa 0 8 0 1 0 1
WP: Scott, K. (3-0) LP: Elliot, C. (0-1)
Houston 6, East Carolina 1
The University of Houston Softball team cemented its first American Athletic Conference series victory on Sunday, taking down East Carolina by a score of 6-1 in the series finale.
The day began with the Cougars (13-27, 4-12 AAC) concluding game three of the series from Saturday, which was suspended due to weather conditions. After leading 3-1 at the resumption of the game, Houston ultimately fell to the Pirates (11-24, 2-10 AAC) 11-5, but bounced back to defeat ECU in game four and claim the series victory.
Houston's offense continued its hot stretch as of late, as the Cougars have now scored at least five runs in seven of their last nine games, including five in a row. Sunday also saw the Cougars finish game three with 14 hits, the team's sixth double-digit hit performance of the season and second of the weekend. All nine batters in the Houston lineup recorded at least one hit in the game.
In game three, junior Kati Ray Brown and sophomore Britaney Shaw each hit solo home runs. Shaw finished the contest tying a career-high three hits. Game two saw redshirt senior Sarah Queen record her team-leading 10th homer of the season, while redshirt senior Lindsey Stewart-Vaughn extended her hitting streak to five games with her bases-clearing, two-RBI double.
Junior Rachel Hertenberger secured the series-clinching win for Houston in the circle, tossing her ninth complete game of the season, having struck out six batters and walking just one in her seven innings of work.
GAME 3: East Carolina 11, Houston 5
KEY INNINGS
1st | Following a single from Queen that brought home Stewart-Vaughn, senior Aspen Howie recorded a two-RBI single to quickly put the Cougars up 3-0.
4th | East Carolina took advantage of a couple fielding blunders from the Cougars and crossed the plate six times to take a 7-3 lead.
6th | Another three runs were put on the scoreboard from the Pirates to push their lead to six, which proved to be too much for Houston to overcame, as Shaw's solo home run in the bottom of the inning wasn't enough to jumpstart a comeback.
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
Britaney Shaw | 3-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
Sarah Queen | 2-5, RBI
Bethany Busch | 2-3, 2B, R
Tierrah Williams | 2-4
Kati Ray Brow | 1-2, HR, 2 BB
PITCHING BREAKDOWN
Logan Hulon (L, 2-6) | 3.0 IP, 3H, 3 ER, 3 K
Megan Lee | 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, K
Hailey Hudson | 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB
GAME 4: Houston 6, East Carolina 1
KEY INNINGS
2nd | With the bases loaded, Stewart-Vaughn found a gap in leftfield and cleared the bases with a double to put Houston ahead by three. Senior Rock Benavides then shot one right up the middle to score Stewart-Vaughn and cement the four-run inning.
4th | After Benavides reached base with her second hit of the game, Queen launched a flyball that cleared the wall in center to extend the lead to 6-0.
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
Sarah Queen | 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs, R
Rock Benavides | 2-3, RBI, R, SB
Lindsey Stewart-Vaughn | 1-4, 2B, 3 RBIs
Bethany Busch | 1-2, 2B, SB
Kati Ray Brown | 1-3, R
PITCHING BREAKDOWN
Rachel Hertenberger (W, 6-8) | 7.0 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K
USF 4, FGCU 0
The University of South Florida softball team clinched the series victory with a 4-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday.
Georgina Corrick (Sanford, Fla.) posted her second complete-game shutout victory of the weekend, striking out 15 on the afternoon. AnaMarie Bruni (Schwenksville, Pa.) and Bethaney Keen (Bradenton, Fla.) both continued big weekends at the plate collecting two hits and an RBI each.
USF scored first, with Megan Pierro (Lutz, Fla.) scoring on a double from Keen to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
South Florida plated three more runs in the bottom of the third. Bruni singled home Alexis Johns (Sarasota, Fla.) to start the scoring. Two batters later, Kyndall Williams (Trenton, Fla.) drove home Bruni, and Brooke Hartman capped off the inning by scoring Alexis Buchman (Tampa, Fla.).
Corrick went the distance to secure the game for the Bulls, allowing just two hits in the shutout effort. She is now 15-4 on the season.
Notables
Bruni and Pierro both stole two bases in the game.
Keen hit two doubles in the series finale. She now has three on the season.
Quotable
Head coach Ken Eriksen on today's game…
"It was good to see us get them on, get them over and get them in. That's really what we did. If you take a look at what the plan was prior to the game from the coaching staff and the player's execution today, then combine that with Georgina shutting them down for seven straight, that's a pretty good recipe for us ending up on the good side."