Saturday, April 3
Wichita State 5, Memphis 0
Wichita State recorded its fourth shutout of the season and first American Athletic Conference series sweep of 2021 with a 5-0 win at Memphis Saturday afternoon.
Wichita State (24-5, 7-1) registered its first American Athletic Conference series sweep since April 12-14, 2019 when the Shockers swept the same Memphis Tigers.
Bailey Lange (12-2) was in command all day long, throwing her third complete game shutout of the season. She allowed only three hits and one walk, while striking out five.
Sydney McKinney continued her red-hot hitting streak with a 3-for-3 day at the plate with a pair of runs scored. McKinney extended her streak of multi-hit games to eight in a row. Madison Perrigan went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, giving her 10 for the season.
Addison Barnard crushed her 14th home run of the season, putting her two shy of the single season home run record currently held by Cacy Williams with 16.
Two batters into the game, Wichita State was on the board thanks to a pair of Memphis errors. McKinney was hit by a pitch on the very first pitch of the game, and then Barnard reached on a fielder's choice and two errors on the play led to McKinney scoring all the way from first.
Perrigan's solo shot in the top of the third extended the lead to 2-0. The Shockers wouldn't score another run until Lauren Mills' pinch-hit RBI double in the top of the sixth.
Memphis' only scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the sixth. The Tigers had runners on first and second with only one out when Kendall Lee singled through the left side. The relay from Bailey Urban to McKinney gunned down the runner at the plate. After laying down the tag, Perrigan fired a throw to second catching the other baserunner in a pickle, eventually leading to an inning ending double play.
Barnard's two-run home run in the top of the seventh was the cherry on top.
USF 1, Houston 0
The University of South Florida softball team earned the series win over the Houston Cougars with a 1-0 win on Saturday afternoon. The win improves USF's record to 7-1 in conference play and 17-7 on the year.
Georgina Corrick earned the victory after allowing only two hits in seven shutout innings in the circle. Alanah Rivera (St. Petersburg, Fla.) scored the game's lone run in the second inning to put the Bulls ahead. Corrick has not allowed an earned run in 62.1 innings in the circle, dating back to New Mexico State on March 10.
USF broke through early in the pitchers' duel. After reaching on an infield single, Rivera scored after a single from Alexis Johns (Sarasota, Fla.) forced an error that allowed the freshman to cross home.
Both pitchers refused to let anyone score after the Bulls' run in the second. Corrick and Houston's tandem of Logan Hulon and Rachel Hertenberger faced jams but ultimately stranded eight runners from both teams to shut down their respective opposition. Corrick's complete-game shutout gave USF the 1-0 win.
Quotable
Head coach Ken Eriksen on Georgina Corrick's effort...
"I don't think you can really appreciate what a competitor Corrick is unless you are around her everyday. She battled through a lot of crossroads today. In the first four innings, Houston had runners on through a combination of things but she worked us out of those killer jams. She keeps giving us a great chance every time she gets in the circle. Her teammates appreciate her toughness and grit. A good day to cap off a 3-1 weekend on the road."
Notables
AnaMarie Bruni (Schwenksville, Pa.) hit her first double of the season in the seventh inning.
Corrick improves to 11-3 in the circle this season, while also having two saves in her totals.
Corrick has thrown 10 or more strikeouts in nine appearances this season. With 22 games remaining on the schedule, she is only 26 strikeouts away from moving into No. 10 on USF's single-season list.
Tulsa 7, No. 22/21 UCF 3
Kylie Norwood goes perfect from the plate, leading the Hurricane to a series victory over the No. 22-ranked UCF Knights Saturday morning at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
The junior second basemen went 4-4 on the day, driving in 2 runs for the Hurricane on a double down the left field line in the 6th inning.
Kassidy Scott started in the circle for TU; she went 2 innings allowing just one run, striking out one batter. In relief Samantha Pochop went 4.2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 2. She picked up her 5th win of the season with her outing of relief.
With two runners on base in the top of the seventh inning, Kylee Nash came in for Pochop needing one out to end the game. The Knights had the tying run on deck, but Nash squashed UCF's comeback hopes, striking out the last batter of the game. The save was Nash's first of her career.
The Knights got on the board first, using a walk, stolen base and error to take a 1-0 lead. The Hurricane immediately bounced back, as Norwood started of the half inning with a single up the middle. Haley Morgan advanced the runner to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Alexis Perry showed off her power sending a shot to center field for her 5th home run of the season, giving TU the lead. With two outs, Sarah Briers rocketed a shot to third base for her first hit of the game. She then stole second, before being drove home but Imani Edwards who singled up the middle.
In the bottom of the fifth, Perry walked to lead off the inning. Kennedy Cramer came into pinch run for Perry, stealing second base. Briers singled to the right side, as Cramer scored from second base. With two outs, Tajiah Ellison singled home Briers from second base as Tulsa took a 5-1 lead.
After the Knights added a run on a solo home run in the top of the sixth, the Hurricane fired back with a couple of runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Rylee Keith started the inning off with a double to left center. Gracie Jarvis came in to pinch run for Keith. Kyndal Pirtle used an error from the third basemen to put two on for TU. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Norwood's double scored both runners.
UCF scored a run in the top of the 7th, before Nash closed the door, giving Tulsa the 7-3 victory in the series finale.
The Hurricane moves to 12-8 on the season and 3-1 in American Athletic Conference competition, while the Knights fall to 25-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play.