TULSA, Oklahoma – Lauren Mills went 2-for-4 with a grand slam as top-seeded Wichita State advanced to the final of the American Athletic Conference Softball Championship for the first time with a 9-4 win against Tulsa Friday at the Collins Family Softball Complex.
 
The Shockers (38-11-1), who had earned a bye into Friday’s semifinals, will face UCF Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 for The American title and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Shockers went 3-0-1 in four regular-season meetings against the Knights in April.
 
Mills’ grand slam, a towering shot over the scoreboard in left-center, gave the Shockers a 9-2 lead to break open what had been a three-run lead.
 
Addison Barnard was 3-for-3 with two runs scored for the Shockers, while Kaylee Huecker was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs as Wichita State finished with 12 hits.
 
After the teams traded runs through the first two innings, Wichita State put three on the board in the bottom of the third. Bailee Nickerson’s chopper through the circle brought Barnard in from third to five the Shockers a 2-1 lead, and Mills delivered a two-out base hit to leftfield to make it 3-1. Huecker followed with her first double to right, scoring Ryleigh Buck to give Wichita State a three-run cushion.
 
Chenise Delce led off the top of the fourth with a home run for Tulsa to bring the Golden Hurricane within two at 4-2, but the Shockers effectively put the game away in the bottom of the inning. Buck drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-2 and set the table for Mills, whose grand slam made it a seven-run game.
 
The Shockers had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the fifth, getting a runner into scoring position with one out, but Sara Limas-Howell got a popup to third for the second out before leftfielder Kyndal Pirtle made a diving catch on a long foul ball to end the inning.
 
Tulsa was able to get two runs back in the top of the sixth as Pirtle’s sacrifice fly made it 9-3, and Rylee Keith’s grounder to the circle allowed Aubree Seaney to score and make it 9-4. Kylie Norwood drew a walk to load the bases, but Erin McDonald was able to strand the runners when she got Haley Morgan to pop up to the circle and end the threat.
 
The Golden Hurricane again put two runners on with no outs in the top of the seventh, but Caitlin Bingham came on to retire the next three hitters to send the Shockers on to the final.
 
Bailey Lange picked up the win for Wichita State, improving to 20-6 after she worked into the sixth inning and allowed four hits and four runs (three earned) with four strikeouts and three walks. McDonald and Bingham combined for two scoreless innings of relief.
 
Tulsa was led by Delce, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and was the only Golden Hurricane player with multiple hits. Kassidy Scott took the loss in the circle, falling to 3-1 after she allowed seven hits and four runs (one earned) in 2.2 innings.