ORLANDO – No. 22 Wichita State scored all 10 of its runs with two outs to record a series-clinching 10-5 win at UCF Sunday afternoon.
Wichita State (26-7, 2-1) was 8-for-15 with two outs in the final game of the series, dropping UCF to 19-18 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Sydney McKinney came up a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. She was 3-for-5 with a single, double, triple, an RBI and two runs scored. Zoe Jones continued her red-hot weekend, going 2-for-4 with a home run, double and five RBI. Addison Barnard, Lauren Mills (RBI), Taylor Sedlacek, Lainee Brown (RBI double) and Krystin Nelson added a hit apiece.
Alex Aguilar (6-2) won her sixth game, allowing five runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings. Aguilar put up four straight scoreless frames after three runs in the first two innings. Lauren Howell recorded the final three outs out of the bullpen.
UCF grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a one-out, solo home run, but Wichita State answered in a big way in the top of the second. The Shockers put up seven runs in the frame, all with two outs.
After Lauren Mills and Brown drew walks, Nelson started the two-out rally with an RBI single into right-center. The very next batter, McKinney, dropped a run-scoring double into left-center to put the Shockers in front, 2-1. An infield single from Barnard and a bases loaded walk to Lauren Lucas set the stage for Jones. The senior belted her first career grand slam over the right field wall to make it 7-1.
UCF cut into the lead in the home half of the second on a two-out, two-run single.
Wichita State went scoreless in the third and fourth innings, but Brown delivered in the top of the fifth with yet another two-out hit. Brown drove an RBI double over the head of the right fielder, increasing the lead to 8-3.
McKinney led off the sixth with her sixth triple of the season, and Wichita State proceeded to do more damage with two outs. Following an Barnard pop up and a Lucas fly out, Jones ripped an RBI double to center. Mills then added the final run on a single up the middle.
The Knights put up two in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run home run.
Up Next
Wichita State returns home for a midweek matchup against Omaha on Wednesday, March 29 at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.