Wichita State softball has an underclassman duo that continues to raise the bar.
Three days after sophomore Ausha Moore tied a program record with three home runs in a single game, it was freshman Kinzey Woody’s turn to create fireworks.
That’s when, tied at two in the top of the seventh inning, Woody smashed a three-run home run right after Moore was intentionally walked for the second time against Missouri-Kansas City Wednesday afternoon at Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City, Mo.
The Shockers (28-15, 15-6 American) won 5-2 by way of Woody’s loud at bat and extended their winning streak to nine in a row.
Woody’s late game at bat proved to be a major relief, alleviating the pressure of entering the seventh inning tied against a team ranked 208th in the RPI. For the No. 53-ranked Shockers, a loss against such a far lower-ranked opponent could have put a blemish on their pursuit for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Instead, Woody’s heroics added on to what’s been an already breakout season.
Through 40 games played, Woody is hitting .344 with 12 home runs, 41 RBIs and 10 doubles. She’s also shown maturity at the plate for a freshman, too, taking more walks (25) than strike outs (19).
And against the Roos (15-28, 1-14 Summit), she delivered again at the right time.
Wichita State was contained to a slower start than the eight home run weekend it had against Charlotte. The Shockers manufactured one run after three innings — an RBI single Moore delivered on a 1-1 count before being intentionally walked in her next two plate appearances.
Moore, who finished 1-for-2 at the plate, went yard in the five games entering Tuesday’s. She’s now hitting .386 with 48 RBIs on the year.
Freshman Kammie Smith later doubled in the top of the fifth inning that allowed junior Mickayla Tosch to score from first. The Roos shut down senior Jade Sanders’ shutout performance in their half of the fifth with two RBI singles that tied the game, 2-2, before the frame ended.
Sophomore Ava Sliger then came in for relief during the sixth inning and provided just that. UMKC went down in order during the two innings Sliger pitched as Woody broke the deadlock.
Next up, Wichita State faces a pivotal conference series with two weekends remaining in the regular season.
The Shockers travel to play North Texas, who are third in the league at 14-7, looking to create some greater separation down the stretch. The first of three games is slated for 6 p.m. Friday at Lovelace Stadium in Denton.
With a series win, Wichita State can remain in first place in the standings and inch closer to a bye all the way to the semifinals of the conference tournament, a benefit this year that’s reserved for the top two seeds.
