Sunday, April 23
UCF 2, South Florida 0 – Box Score
Wichita State 7, East Carolina 1 – Box Score
Tulsa 6, Houston 4 – Box Score
 
Recaps
UCF 2, South Florida 0 – Box Score
ORLANDO – The series ended in virtually the same fashion in which it began.
 
Right-hander Sarah Willis owned the circle and right fielder Chloe Evans was at the center of the game-winning play at the dish, as the UCF softball team topped its rival South Florida Bulls, 2-0, to sweep the three-game 2023 War on I-4 series at the UCF Softball Complex.
 
The team's victory, its fourth straight overall and 11th in its last 12 games, marked the first time in program history the Knights pulled off a sweep of the Bulls at home, as well as its 11th consecutive victory over South Florida overall to move to 23-19 in 42 all-time meetings between the two schools. UCF also clinched the 800th win in program history with its 30th victory of the season.
 
In keeping with the pitchers' duel theme of the weekend's first two contests, it seemed fitting that the series finale was a two-run game decided in the bottom of the sixth inning of a scoreless affair. Following six dominant frames authored by Willis, the Knights (30-19, 9-3 The American) rallied in the sixth inning or later for the second time in their last three games.
 
Center fielder Johneisha Rowe gave UCF the leadoff baserunner it needed with a single to left field and advanced 60 feet on a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Kennedy Searcy. The Bulls (27-22, 6-6 The American) gave third baseman Jada Cody the intentional free pass, and after Aubrey Evans popped out, Chloe Evans strode to the plate with a chance to be the hero for the second time in the series.
 
The junior transfer put the ball in play, singling on a ground ball to South Florida shortstop Kathy Garcia-Soto, who made a good throw to first base that was not fielded cleanly by Alyssa Rano.
 
The ball dribbled into foul territory, allowing Rowe and Cody to plate the first, and only, two runs of the contest, lifting the Knights to an emotional, sweep-clinching win.
 
The play marked the second time in three games over the weekend that the Seymour, Wisconsin, native produced a game-winning run, after she ended the Knights' 2-1 Friday win with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UCF its first win in extra innings this year.
 
As had been the case during the weekend's first two contests, the combination of Willis and fellow right-hander Grace Jewell was too much for the Bulls to handle in the circle. Willis worked six masterful innings, striking out four and tiptoeing around traffic on the basepaths throughout the afternoon.
 
She worked around a two-out walk in the first inning and stranded a pair of runners in the second with a perfectly-executed changeup to strike out second baseman Megan Pierro.
 
After spinning perfect third and fourth innings, at one point retiring nine consecutive hitters, Willis again stifled a potential Bulls rally in the fifth with another patented changeup that froze pinch-hitter Rian Eigenmann for her fourth strikeout of the afternoon.
 
The right-hander capped her strong afternoon in emphatic fashion, putting to bed another South Florida threat, this time with the bases loaded. A pair of two-out walks following a leadoff single again put the UCF faithful on the edge of their seats, but Willis escaped the threat inducing a lineout to second baseman Micaela Macario.
 
Head coach Cindy Ball-Malone opted for Jewell, Saturday's starter, to record the game's final three outs in the seventh. The right-hander worked around a leadoff hit-by-pitch and a fielding error by shortstop Jasmine Williams, striking out designated player-turned-pitcher Vivian Ponn to record her third save of the season.
 
Upon the conclusion of the three-game series, the tandem of Jewell, Willis, Kaitlyn Felton and Angelina DeVoe combined to post a 0.64 ERA in 22 innings of work against the team's western rivals, yielding a combined two earned runs while striking out 16 and limiting the Bulls to a collective .130 batting average-against.
 
Individually, Willis added on to an already-impressive debut season in Orlando, recording her third start in her last four appearances of at least six innings pitched and one or fewer runs allowed and her seventh such start of the campaign. She lowered her team-best ERA to 1.94 (97.2 IP, 27 ER) in 26 appearances, racking up a team-high 90 strikeouts while limiting her opposition to a .198 batting average-against.
 
Wichita State 7, East Carolina 1 – Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. – No. 23 Wichita State won its fourth straight game and recorded its third series sweep of the season behind a 7-1 win over East Carolina on Sunday at Wilkins Stadium.
 
Wichita State (40-8, 13-2 The American) picked up win No. 40 of the season, marking just the third 40-win season in school history, joining the 2005 and 2021 teams.
 
The Shockers completed the series sweep to conclude a successful senior weekend where they honored three seniors: Lauren Mills, Zoe Jones and Sydney McKinney.
 
McKinney scored three times on Sunday to go with a single and a double. Addison Barnard doubled twice to go with two RBI and three runs scored. Lauren Lucas went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Jones drove in a pair to go with a double.
 
Taylor Sedlacek and Lainee Brown rounded out the Shockers with a hit in the contest.
 
Alison Cooper earned a no decision in the start. She struck out three in 3.0 innings, allowing the lone run on two hits and a walk. Alex Aguilar was solid yet again in relief. She picked up her 13th win in 4.0 innings out of the bullpen, striking out four and allowing just two hits and a walk.
 
Cooper went to work quick in the top of the first, retiring all three Pirates on just nine pitches, including two strikeouts. Her offense then immediately put a pair of runs on the board. McKinney led off with a single, Barnard walked and Lucas laid down a perfect bunt single to load the bases. East Carolina was lucky to only allow two runs with the bases loaded and no outs, as Jones scored the first run on a sac fly and Sedlacek drew a bases loaded walk to make it 2-0. It marked the third time in the last two games stranding the bases loaded.
 
East Carolina cut the lead in half in the top of the second on a two-out solo home run.
 
Wichita State tacked on two more in the bottom of the second on an RBI double and RBI triple from Barnard and Lucas in back-to-back at bats.
 
Still holding on to a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth, the top of the order went back to work. Three doubles in the inning from McKinney, Barnard and Jones produced two runs, and the third and final run came across on an ECU error.
 
Tulsa 6, Houston 4 – Box Score
HOUSTON, Texas – Down to its last out, Tulsa put together five singles and a walk to storm back and beat Houston 6-4, completing the series sweep at Cougar Softball Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
 
Tulsa (20-23, 6-6 The American) had trailed Houston (19-24, 6-6 The American) since the bottom of the second frame and was down 4-2 entering the final inning. After the first two batters were retired, it came down to Kylee Nash. She came through with a single to right to keep the game alive for the top of the order.
 
Kennedy Cramer came in to pinch run and moved to second on a Haley Morgan single. MacKenzie Denson stepped to the plate. She'd been the provider of a few big hits already this weekend, and Sunday was no different. She hit a hard ground ball that deflected off the glove of a diving shortstop into center. Cramer came in to score and the center fielder chose to try to catch Morgan racing for third. Instead, the ball got away from everyone and Morgan scored to tie the game at four.
 
Imani Edwards was walked to bring in Kailyn Bearpaw with runners on the corner. She hit a bouncing ball to third, which was misplayed by the third baseman and ended in the outfield, scoring Denson and giving Tulsa a 5-4 lead to complete the comeback. Claira Skaggs singled to make the score 6-4.
 
Nash (9-11) recorded a win for the second day in a row. She came on in relief in the sixth, throwing one and a third. She struck out two and walked two. Maura Moore had the start in the circle, spinning 5.2 innings while allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits with a strikeout and four walks. She reentered in the seventh and got the save.
 
For Houston, Kenna Wilkey (14-11) went the distance and was one out away from earning a win, but instead was tagged with the loss. She tossed 7.0 innings and allowed six runs, three earned, on eight hits. She struck out four and walked four. 
 
Skaggs batted 3-for-4 on Sunday, driving in a pair of runs and making a few sharp plays on the defensive end. Morgan finished with a hit and two walks, coming around to score twice. Denson also scored twice and had a two-hit day while Edwards extended her hitting streak to seven with a single.
 
The Golden Hurricane took the lead in the opening frame. Denson singled and promptly stole second. She advanced to third on a single from Edwards and then came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Bearpaw.
 
Houston took the lead for the first time all series in the bottom of the second. The Cougars had runners on the corners with one out. A single to left drove in the tying run. After a two-out walk, Houston took the lead with a double to left, scoring two to give Houston a 3-1 lead.
 
The fifth inning saw Houston extend its lead thanks to free bases. The Cougars singled with two outs to put a runner on base. The next two batters walked, ending Moore's spell in the circle and bringing in Nash. She walked in a run, but then got a strikeout to end the inning. 
 
In the top of the sixth, a couple of errors put Tulsa in position to strike back. Morgan walked to lead the inning and then was sacrificed over to second. Consecutive errors loaded the bases for Skaggs. She grounded out to second, but it was enough to bring in Morgan and cut the deficit to 4-2 heading into the seventh.
 
The first two batters went down for Tulsa in the seventh, bringing up Nash as the final chance. She singled and then Kennedy Cramer came in to pinch run. Morgan came through with a single to left to put the tying run on base. Denson smashed a single up the middle, off the diving glove of the shortstop and into center, scoring Cramer.
 
Morgan tried to go from first to third, forcing the center fielder to throw in her direction. The ball got away from the third baseman and Morgan came in to score and tie the game at 4-4 while Denson moved to third. After Edwards walked, Bearpaw hit a bouncing ball down the third base line that was misplayed by the third baseman, bringing in Denson and giving Tulsa the lead. Skaggs added an insurance run with another single, scoring Edwards.  
 
Moore reentered the game in the circle to close out the game. She forced to ground outs and a fly out to get Houston in order, earn the save and clinch the sweep.