Friday, March 31
UCF 8, East Carolina 0 (6) – Box Score
Tulsa 9, Memphis 7 – Box Score
Wichita State 8, South Florida 3 – Box Score
 
Recaps
UCF 8, East Carolina 0 (6) – Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. – In search of its second conference win of the season and first true road victory overall, the UCF softball team left little to doubt Friday evening.
 
A history-making three-run homer by Jada Cody and another masterpiece in the circle by right-handed starter Sarah Willis led the Knights over the East Carolina Pirates in run-rule fashion, 8-0, at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium in the opener of UCF's four-game road trip.
 
The victory pushed the Knights (21-18, 2-2 The American) back to three games north of .500 and even in conference play, and gave UCF its 15th consecutive win over the Pirates (22-13, 0-4 The American) dating back to May 4, 2018. Entering the series' second game Saturday UCF now owns a 32-19 edge all-time over the Pirates.
 
With the Knights already leading 2-0 on the strength of sacrifice flies by right fielder Chloe Evans and pinch-hitter Savannah Adams, Cody, the owner of 138 career RBI and third place on the UCF all-time list, strode to the plate for her third plate appearance in the top of the fourth inning with two runners on.
 
She waited out ECU starter Addy Bullis, working a 1-1 count before demolishing the third pitch of her at-bat over the left field wall, ballooning the Knights' advantage to 5-0 with her sixth home run of the season.
 
The long ball also tacked on three more RBI to Cody's career total, boosting the Murrieta, California, native past Jania Shinhoster for sole possession of second place on the UCF all-time list with 141 in her four-year career.
 
In helping lead UCF to its eight-run win, Cody scored a trio of runs for the second time this season, and the first since March 11 against the Toledo Rockets. She also recorded three or more RBI in a game for the second time this season, and the first since her four-RBI day in the opener of the Knights' Feb. 23 twin-bill against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs.
 
The Knights' offensive outburst was more than enough for Willis, who was masterful in authoring her fourth complete game, and second shutout, of the campaign. The Ontario, California, native worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning, stranding the ECU runner at third base and retiring 15 consecutive Pirates hitters from the end of the first through the fifth innings.
 
ECU third baseman Mackenzie Kila snapped Willis' streak with a leadoff walk in the sixth, but the Knights right-hander was unfazed, quickly inducing a flyout and a pair of groundouts in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal UCF's 21st win of the year.
 
The outing marked Willis' fourth of the season consisting of six or more innings pitched, the first of which was accompanied by one or fewer hits allowed.
 
Since her Feb. 23 start against Gardner-Webb, Willis has also posted a team-low 1.17 ERA (53.2 IP, 9 ER), racking up a team-leading 52 strikeouts and yielding just a .155 opponent batting average in 14 appearances (8 starts) in that span.
 
Shortstop Jasmine Williams and first baseman Shannon Doherty punctuated the Knights' offensive exploits, driving in a combined three runs on a pair of singles in the top of the sixth inning to make possible UCF's six-inning run-rule victory.
 
Tulsa 9, Memphis 7 – Box Score
TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa softball team battled the elements and Memphis in a tough 9-7 win to open the American Athletic Conference season at Collins Family Softball Complex on Friday evening.
 
Winds reached between 30 and 50 miles per hour during the game, adding an extra challenge for fielders and opportunities for baserunners. Tulsa improved to 15-16, 1-0 in The American with the win. Memphis fell to 5-28 and have lost its first four conference games.
 
The Golden Hurricane used the wind to its advantage, scoring four runs off the long ball. Kailyn Bearpaw hit a two-run home run, and Haley Morgan and Rylee Keith both recorded solo homers. Memphis added a two-run home run as well.
 
Bearpaw led the way with four RBI and a two-hit afternoon. Claira Skaggs and Imani Edwards both recorded a trio of hits and each had a triple. Edwards came around to score twice. Eight different Hurricane came around to score runs in the win.
 
Junior Kylee Nash got the nod in the circle and ended with no decision. She did add a pair of RBI with a double in the third inning. From the mound, she pitched five innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits and four walks. She also struck out a batter.
 
Maura Moore (9-6) entered in relief in the sixth and eventually emerged with the win. She Allowed a pair of runs on three hits in her two innings of work. Mik Hoschak and Rylee Dugar split the time in the circle for Memphis. Hoschak got the start and pitched 2.1 innings, but it was Dugar who was tagged with the loss.
 
In a back-and-forth affair, it was a five-run sixth with three homers that made the difference. The Tigers took the lead 7-6 with a two-run home run in the top of the frame. Keith and Morgan responded with solo blasts of their own to put Tulsa up 8-7 for good.
 
Wichita State 8, South Florida 3 – Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. – No. 23 Wichita State scored seven of its eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a comeback win over South Florida, 8-3, Friday night at Wilkins Stadium.
 
Wichita State (28-7, 3-1 The American) trailed by two runs entering the fifth inning, but won going away behind a huge at bat from Lauren Lucas and three sixth-inning home runs.
 
Lucas was 2-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBI. She struck out in each of her first two at bats of the game, but when it mattered most the junior came through. Sydney McKinney recorded yet another three-hit game with two singles and a double, while scoring three times.
 
Zoe Jones had two more hits and an RBI. Addison Barnard and Bailey Urban each homered and Lainee Brown and Sami Hood added a single each.
 
Alison Cooper (9-3) recorded the win out of the bullpen, throwing 4.0 scoreless and hitless innings of relief. She walked three and struck out two. Lauren Howell made the start, lasting only 3.0 innings. South Florida scored all three of its runs in the second and third innings.
 
In typical McKinney fashion, the senior led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and a stolen base. With two outs, McKinney would come home on an RBI single from Jones, who continued her red-hot hitting.
 
South Florida evened the score at 1-1 in the very next at bat behind a pair of doubles.
 
A one-out double and a walk turned into a pair of runs on single up the middle in the top of the third for the Bulls.
 
After three scoreless frames at the plate, Wichita State finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Singles from Brown and McKinney and a walk to Barnard loaded the bases for Lucas with only one out. A 10+ pitch at bat finally resulted in a big bases clearing double to put the Shockers in front, 4-3.
 
Looking for some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, the Shockers got just that. With two outs and Urban stepping in for Krystin Nelson to pinch hit, Urban belted a solo home run, her first of the season, to straightaway center. A double from McKinney then paved the way for Barnard's no-doubt two-run home run to make it 7-3. The very next batter, Lucas, drilled a solo shot for back-to-back home runs and the icing on the cake.
 
Wichita State hit back-to-back home runs for the first time this season.
 
A walk is all the Bulls got in the top of the seventh, as Cooper slammed the door shut for the win.