A big first inning doomed No. 5 Wichita State softball in the quarterfinals of the AAC Championship as the team lost, 8-4, against No. 4 North Texas on Thursday morning.
The Shockers ended the season with a 29-25-1 record, the team’s worst since 2017. North Texas’ record grew to 35-20 heading into the semifinals on Friday against No. 1 Florida Atlantic.
Because of seeding, Wichita State batted first to start the game. After the Shockers put up a zero in the first inning, North Texas scored six runs to take early command of the game.
Freshman pitcher Ava Sliger started in the circle and allowed six of the first seven Mean Green batters to reach base, which resulted in three runs for them. Sliger then gave up a three-run home run to make the score 6-0.
Sliger was pulled from the game after the homer and was replaced by freshman Ryley Nihart. She threw a complete game the previous day. Nihart got the final two outs by pitching back-to-back strikeouts.
Wichita State has been forced to rely on Sliger and Nihart due to sophomore Chloe Barber’s struggles this season and an injury to junior Alex Aguilar.
In contrast to the second-round game on Wednesday against Tulsa, Wichita State out-hit the Mean Green, 10-9, and had six batters reach base on walks. Despite making two errors in the game, North Texas was efficient with its opportunities, leaving just three runners on base to WSU’s nine.
Senior Krystin Nelson singled to start the third inning and eventually crossed home plate on a double by graduate student Ellee Eck for the Shockers’ first run. Eck later scored on a wild pitch.
In the next inning, Eck collected her second RBI of the game when she singled to center field, which allowed freshman Brookelyn Livanec to score. Eck finished the game hitting 3-4 with two doubles.
Wichita State continued to close the gap in the fifth. Freshman Gabby Scott knocked a ground rule double with two outs and scored on a single by Livanec, making the score 6-4. Livanec extended her hitting streak to seven games with the single.
Nihart kept the Shockers in the game with four consecutive scoreless innings. However, she allowed a rally in the fifth where North Texas scored two runs, extending its lead to four.
Down to the team’s final three outs, junior Taylor Sedlacek started the seventh inning by coercing a walk with a full count. Senior Camryn Compton flew out to right for the first Shocker out. Compton finished the game hitting 0-4, the first time she’s done so since a game against Charlotte in late April.
Junior Jodie Epperson singled to short against her former team to put two runners on. However, Scott struck out on three straight pitches to bring the Shockers to their final out, and Livanec grounded out to the shortstop, ending the game and WSU’s season.
Douglas W Luthanen • May 8, 2025 at 2:17 pm
You don’t win often when you get runners thrown out on the bases and you repeatedly throw home in a hopeless attempt to stop a run while allowing the batter-runner to take second on a single. An unpleasant ending to a disappointing season.