One swing was all it took to change the trajectory of Wichita State softball’s season.
Leading by a run at the top of the sixth inning of the American Conference Tournament semifinals, the No. 2-seeded Shockers gave up a two-RBI blast to No. 3-seeded East Carolina’s Hailey Deter that flipped the scoreboard and ultimately decided the game, 3-2.
On the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament conversation, Wichita State’s path to its first regional since 2023 became more difficult after Friday’s loss at Joyner Family Softball Stadium in Greenville.
The Shockers (35-17) have built a solid resume for themselves throughout the regular season, finishing it with a 35-16 record, a 21-6 mark in conference play and a share of the league title.
But what they lack is a volume of Quad 1 opportunities and wins that would favor them over other teams come Selection Sunday.
Nine top-100 wins, including an 8-3 win in March against then No. 15 Oklahoma State, a 26-1 record against teams ranked outside of the top 100 and claiming victories in 15 of its last 16 regular-season games now seem to be Wichita State’s strongest case at getting into the 64-team tournament.
But beating the Pirates (34-24) Friday would have certainly strengthened it even more.
Neither team could gain a clear advantage, combining for 14 hits throughout the game. ECU simply made the right play at the right time, and the Shockers couldn’t answer.
Wichita State nearly did, however, in the bottom of the seventh when it loaded the bases with two outs and junior first baseman Trinity Allen coming up to the plate. She had already singled through the infield earlier in the first inning, but popped up and struck out in her next two at-bats.
Allen was met with a similar result, striking out to end the game and, potentially, the Shockers’ season.
They had done just enough to keep themselves throughout the game until the late-game fireworks from ECU
An example came in the first inning, when a Pirate batter flew out to freshman left fielder Mackenzie Rooney, and Rooney gunned down a runner trying to score from third to end the inning and prevent an early deficit.
Later, in the fifth inning, an ECU started another run down that resulted in sophomore catcher Aeryn Shuman tagging out a Pirate at the plate with a head’s up play from senior center fielder Jodie Epperson, who shifted into the infield and fired the ball to Shuman.
Offense remained stingy even before then, as the teams did not manage runs in the first and second innings until ECU lifted the seal in the third with an RBI single.
The Pirates’ lead was short-lived, as sophomore Ausha Moore sent the second pitch she saw in the bottom of the frame over the wall to tie the game at one. With the solo shot, Moore is now alone in third place for the program’s most home runs in a single season at 23.
Rooney made another big play, this time at the plate, with a solo home run in the Shockers’ half of the fifth to take the lead, 2-1. But Deter’s shot in the sixth proved to be the final blow.
Wichita State went into this weekend looking to remove any doubt and decide its own postseason fate.
But now, that fate will be on hold until 6 p.m. Sunday.
