Wichita State softball split its weekend series against the University of South Florida, finishing 1-1 after Sunday’s game ended in a rare tie.
The Shockers’ offense was productive throughout the series, totaling 20 runs over three games. However, a late collapse in Sunday’s finale prevented them from securing the series win.
“(We’ve) got to be ready to go and we’ve got to be complete all seven innings,” said WSU softball head coach Kristi Brenbenner
The Shockers now sit at 17-17-1 (5-6-1 AAC), while the Bulls move to 28-10-1 (7-3-1 AAC).
Graduate student Ellee Eck had a standout performance during the series, totaling four hits and the first multi-home run game of her collegiate career on Saturday.
“I’ve been working more with coaching and trying to get into my legs more,” Eck said. “You know, just see ball, hit ball.”
Friday
Wichita State rebounded from a hard-fought midweek loss to No. 2 University of Oklahoma with a 9-4 victory over South Florida on Friday, taking the first game of the series at Wilkins Stadium.
Freshman Ryley Nihart got the start for the Shockers after exiting early in Tuesday’s game against the University of Central Arkansas due to a shin injury.
The Shockers struck first in the second inning when freshman Gabby Scott drove in a run, setting the tone for an explosive offensive performance. Wichita State’s bats came alive in the second and fourth innings, producing eight runs to take control of the game.
Graduate student Lauren Lucas extended her career-best hitting streak to 14 games with a fifth-inning single. Senior Camryn Compton continued her hot streak at the plate, blasting a home run in the fourth inning, her seventh in the last eight games.
Saturday
Freshman Ava Sliger took the circle for game two, but the Shockers got off to a rough start as USF’s first batter reached base due to catcher interference. The Bulls capitalized with a three-run homer in the first inning to take an early lead.
“I feel like today we didn’t show up,” head coach Kristi Bredbenner said after the game on Saturday. “We played today how we finished the game yesterday—not a lot of energy and playing back on our heels.”
Wichita State struggled defensively, allowing four runs and committing two errors in the opening frame. The Shockers’ defense hurt the team throughout the weekend, giving up eight total errors and four on Saturday.
Despite the early deficit, Lucas extended her hitting streak to 15 games. Eck continued her strong weekend performance, launching home runs in both the third and fifth innings.
Junior Sami Hood made a diving catch to end the fourth, but the Shockers’ pitching struggles caught up to the team in the fifth. After a hit-by-pitch, USF added two more runs.
Hood helped Wichita State rally in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, followed by Eck’s two-run shot to cut the deficit to 7-4 entering the sixth.
USF tacked on an insurance run in the seventh with another home run. After being subbed out of the game, Sliger returned to the circle in the final inning but struggled with control, walking a season-high three batters. She was tagged with the loss after four innings of work.
The Shockers ultimately fell, 11-4, evening the series at one game apiece.
Sunday:
The Shockers gave up a five-run seventh inning, resulting in a 7-7 tie in the series finale. The tie was Wichita State’s first since 2021.
“It’s a choice on whether or not you’re going to have energy and focus,” Bredbenner said after Saturday’s loss.
Nihart started in the circle locked in and struck out three of the first four batters in the opening inning.
Wichita State’s offense broke through in the third inning, bringing in four runs off the bats of Scott, Hood and senior Krystin Nelson, 5-2.
Lucas made a highlight-reel catch in the fourth inning, crashing into the wall to end the frame. The Shockers added two more runs in the fifth to extend their lead, providing additional run support for Nihart.
However, Nihart ran into trouble in the seventh, surrendering five runs on two homers before being pulled. Sliger came in to stop the bleeding and sent the game into extra innings. USF scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, but because the Bulls had a flight back to Florida, the game was called a tie when the clock hit 3:10.
Lucas saw her 15-game hitting streak get snapped after going 0-3. Hood and junior Jodie Epperson each had three hits.
Next up. Wichita State will have another weekend series at home against the University of Alabama at Birmingham from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6. The first pitch is scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m.
