Sunday, May 23
No. 10 Florida State 2, UCF 0
The Knights' historic season came to a close on Sunday as UCF fell to Florida State, 2-0, in the NCAA regional championship at Seminole Softball Complex in Tallahassee, Florida.
After finishing as the runner ups in the American Athletic Conference Championship and taking down Auburn and Kennesaw State on their path to the NCAA Tallahassee regional championship, UCF finished the season with a 41-19-1 overall record. The 41 wins are the seventh most in program history and this is the seventh time in program history that the Knights have had at least 40 wins in a season (2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2021).
Florida State was led by starting pitcher Kathryn Sandercock on Sunday in the regional championship. Sandercock tossed her eighth complete game of the season after holding UCF to no runs on just one hit. Florida State is headed to a Super Regional for the eighth straight season.
Making her last career start in the circle for the Knights. Alea White allowed just one earned run in three innings pitched to finish the season at 22-8. She finishes her career in the Black and Gold with 99 career victories. Taking over for White in the circle in the fourth inning, Gianna Mancha also tossed three innings, allowing one earned run.
The Knights' appearance in the NCAA regional championship was their fifth in program history (2008, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2021).
"I told the team [after the game] that I was proud of them," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "I told them 'I know this hurts, but you made history.' They had such a remarkable season and did things that haven't been done before at UCF. They should be proud of that."
TALLAHASSEE BRACKET/SCHEDULE
Friday, May 21
UCF 5, Auburn 4
Florida State 6, Kennesaw State 2
Saturday, May 22
UCF 0, Florida State 3
Auburn 0, Kennesaw State 1
UCF 2, Kennesaw State 0
Sunday, May 23
UCF 0, Florida State 2
Key Moments
The Seminoles threatened with runners on second and third and just one away in the bottom of the second, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the inning to keep the game tied at zero.
Back-to-back doubles and an RBI single to begin the bottom of the fourth got Florida State on the board, giving them the 1-0 lead.
Later in the inning, an RBI groundout would bring another Seminole home to score, extending their lead to 2-0.
Denali Schappacher tripled with two outs in the top of the sixth to break up the no-hitter but the Knights couldn't bring her in, keeping the score at 2-0 FSU.
NOTABLES
Denali Schappacher's stolen bases in the first inning marked the 48th of her career, passing UCF Athletics Hall of Famer Stephanie Best for eighth place all-time.
The Knights finished the season with a program best .301 team batting average and also a program best 57 home runs
It was the fifth time in program history that the Knights have won at least two games in an NCAA regional (2008, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2021).
No. 4 Florida 8, South Florida 0
The University of South Florida softball team had its season come to an end in the Gainesville Regional finals with an 8-0 loss to Florida. Elizabeth Hightower tossed her first career no-hitter to help earn the Gators the victory.
USF reached the regional final for the first time since 2014. Corrick finished her weekend with 26 innings in the circle, allowing only four runs and 18 hits while also striking out 33 batters in three complete games with a no-hitter.
The pitching duel from the weekend opener continued into the regional finals. Through three innings, both teams had only two baserunners each and no hits.
Florida opened the scoring in the fourth. After back-to-back singles to open the inning, Julia Cottrill doubled off the left-field wall to drive home a run, giving Florida a 1-0 lead after one.
The Gators added to its lead in the sixth. Cottrill hit a solo home run to left field to give UF a 2-0 lead.
Florida added six runs in the seventh inning to take the game 8-0, earning a berth to the NCAA Super Regionals.
No. 1 Oklahoma 24, Wichita State 7
No. 23 Wichita State saw its season come to a close Sunday afternoon at the hands of No. 1 Oklahoma, 24-7, in the NCAA Norman Regional final.
Wichita State (41-13-1) made its second appearance in an NCAA Regional final and completed possibly the best season in school history. The 2021 Shockers rewrote the record books and swept both the regular season and conference tournament titles in the American Athletic Conference.
Despite the final score, Wichita State did something against the high-powered Sooners only one other team accomplished. In 50 games this season, Oklahoma had allowed five or more runs only six times. Two of those came this weekend against Wichita State.
Six Shocker seniors suited up for the final time Sunday: Ryleigh Buck, Kaylee Huecker, Bailey Lange, Hailey Martinez, Bailee Nickerson and Madison Perrigan.
Buck, Perrigan, Sydney McKinney and Lauren Mills all had two hits in the game. Nickerson drove in a team-high three runs, while Mills and Neleigh Herring each homered and drove in a pair of runs.
The Shockers jumped on the Sooners in the first inning, scoring four runs on five hits. The scoring started on Nickerson's bases clearing double to left-center. Two batters later, Mills made it 4-0 on an RBI single.
Oklahoma would return the favor, plus some in the top of the second. The Sooners put eight runs on the board to take an 8-4 lead.
OU extended its lead in the top of the third to 11-4 on an RBI single and two-run home run.
A solo blast from Mills in the home half of the third made it 11-5. Oklahoma's second home run of the game was a three-run homer, pushing the margin to 14-5 in the top of the fourth.
Wichita State's second home run of the contest came off the bat of Herring in the fourth inning, a two-run jack to right.
The Sooners finished it off with 10 more runs in the top of the seventh.