GREENVILLE, North Carolina – Meghan Sheehan’s first career home run stood up as the game winner and Antoinette Hill came up with five key outs in relief to lift South Florida to the American Athletic Conference Championship Final with a 5-4 semifinal win against Wichita State Friday afternoon at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.
The Bulls (44-13) advance to the championship final for the third time and will face top-seeded UCF Saturday in search of their first American Athletic Conference title. The championship final is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
Sheehan’s home run was a solo shot in the top of the fifth that gave the Bulls what looked to be a comfortable 5-1 lead. But Wichita State answered with with a run on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fifth before pinch-hitter Lauren Mills drilled her third home run of the tournament, a two-run line drive that snuck over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the sixth to bring the Shockers within one.
Another pinch-hitter, Cassie Passwaters, followed Mills’ home run with a double to left-center, and South Florida coach Ken Eriksen made the call to pull American Pitcher of the Year Georgina Corrick for Hill with one out in the sixth. Hill got the second out on a grounder to short, but Sydney McKinney followed with a single to left to put two runners on for American Player of the Year Addison Barnard. Barnard worked a seven-pitch at bat before Hill got her on a grounder to third to end the inning.
Hill worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, aided by a diving catch by right fielder Alexis Johns for the second out on Zoe Jones’ sinking line drive.
Wichita State came into the game ranked second nationally in home runs (2.44 per game) and third in batting (.353), but it was the Bulls who provided the offensive fireworks with three home runs and a triple among their six hits. Sheehan’s home run was her first in 136 career games, while Josie Foreman and Dezarae Maldonado hit round-trippers as well.
Corrick, who entered the game ranked third nationally in earned-run average (0.43), allowed seven hits and four earned runs with five strikeouts and two walks against the potent Shocker lineup. She improved to 35-5 with her second win of the tournament. Hill retired five of the six batters she faced to earn her first save.
Wichita State (33-16) was led by Mills, whose two-run home run gave her 10 RBIs in her two games after she hit two grand slams in the Shockers’ opening-round win against East Carolina.