Ausha Moore and the Wichita State softball team had a weekend to remember.
In three games against Charlotte from Friday through Sunday, the Shockers smacked eight home runs and outscored the 49ers 33-10 to extend their winning streak to eight in a row and improve to 27-15 and 15-6 in the American Conference.
Moore was the primary benefactor at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium.
She hit two home runs worth four RBIs on Friday and Saturday to help lead Wichita State to 10-3 and 9-3 wins.
Moore’s weekend concluded with program history when she hit three home runs Sunday to become the sixth Shocker to do so in a game. She also drove in nine runs to set a single-game record.
Wichita State eventually won via run-rule after six innings, 14-4, behind Moore’s career day and completed its third series sweep this season.
The Shockers moved into a tie for first place in the league standings with two conference series remaining before the championship tournament as a result. Charlotte dropped to 26-22 and 10-11 in the American.
Moore, a sophomore transfer from North Texas, now leads the conference with 18 home runs — the program’s fifth most in a season. She’s gone yard in each of the last five games.
Her first one of the series came in the third inning of Friday’s game to extend Wichita State’s lead to eight runs. Moore sent a solo shot over the center field fence Saturday to give the Shockers a 5-1 advantage.
Moore’s trifecta in Sunday’s finale were all multi-RBI whacks.
She broke open the scoring in the first inning with a two-run blast. Then, later in the same frame, she created a 9-0 advantage with a grand slam that put the game out of reach before it really began. Moore’s afternoon ended with a homer to right field in the third, another two-RBI shot.
But it wasn’t just Moore who made an impact in the batter’s box over the weekend. As a team, Wichita State hit 34-for-95 and manufactured 32 RBIs.
Kinzey Woody also continued her breakout freshman season.
Woody, who is from Westphalia, Mo., hit 4-for-11 against Charlotte with four RBIs and two home runs. She leads the conference in batting average (.470), slugging percentage (1.015), on base percentage (.557) and home runs (10) since the start of league play.
The Shockers’ pitching fed off the productive bats, as well.
Sophomore Ryley Nihart threw a complete game Friday, allowing one earned run on five hits and striking out three batters. The 49ers’ other two runs were scored via Wichita State fielding and throwing errors in the third and fourth innings, respectively.
On Saturday, sophomore Ava Sliger was given the start in the circle and pitched four innings of two-run ball to earn her seventh win of the season. Senior Jade Sanders came in for relief and allowed a home run, but struck out six batters in three innings.
Nihart started Sunday’s matinee and gave up four runs in five innings. Sanders returned to close out the sixth, giving up a hit and striking out two 49ers.
After the dominant weekend, Wichita State now stares down a series that could provide some separation in the league standings.
The Shockers will travel to play three games against North Texas next weekend in Denton, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday. The Mean Green are in third place in the conference standings at 14-7.
