<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715307874130.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State Sports Information<div>WICHITA, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/addison-barnard/7558" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Addison Barnard</a></dfn>&nbsp;is not ready for her career to end. For the second straight day, the senior hit multiple home runs, including the go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the fifth to push the Shockers past No. 5 seed Tulsa, 11-9, at Wilkins Stadium. Fourth-seeded Wichita State (27-21) will now face the top seed Florida Atlantic in Friday&apos;s semifinals at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. After Thursday&apos;s two-home run game vs. Tulsa, Barnard is now 6-for-7 with five home runs, a double and 11 RBI in two games of the American Athletic Conference Championship. She finished the day 2-for-3 with two home runs and six RBI. Her fifth inning grand slam was the fourth of her career. She now has 92 career home runs, placing her in a tie for fourth on the NCAA all-time home run list. Her season total stands at 23, meaning she holds the top three single season home run records at Wichita State (33, 2022; 23, 2024; 22, 2021). <dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/cc-wong/8967" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">CC Wong</a></dfn>&nbsp;had another big impact, going 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, an RBI and two runs scored.&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/sami-hood/7565" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Sami Hood</a></dfn>&nbsp;drove in a run behind two hits and&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/lainee-brown/7559" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Lainee Brown</a></dfn>&nbsp;delivered a pair of hits, none bigger than her fifth inning single that helped ignite Wichita State&apos;s seven-run inning.&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/jessica-garcia/7563" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Jessica Garcia</a></dfn>&nbsp;recorded Wichita State&apos;s eighth hit, also in the monster fifth inning. <dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/chloe-barber/7573" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Chloe Barber</a></dfn>&nbsp;threw 6.1 innings, including the final 2.0 after re-entering. Her final line included seven hits, six runs, four walks and five strikeouts. Tulsa grabbed early momentum three batters into the game on a two-run home run, but the Shockers would respond. Wong&apos;s leadoff double made way for the hottest hitter on the planet. After a three-home run game the night before, Barnard sent the first pitch she saw over the decks in right field to promptly tie the game at 2. Wichita State then grabbed a 3-2 lead two batters later on a Hood RBI double. In the fourth, Wichita State loaded the bases with one out, but only scored one run out of it on a Wong walk. Leading 4-2, Wichita State had momentum on its side and just nine outs away from a win. However, Tulsa had other plans. The Golden Hurricane scored six runs in the top of the fifth to suck the life out of Wilkins Stadium, grabbing an 8-4 lead. Tulsa scored all six of its runs with two outs, starting with a two-run bloop single to right to tie the game. Wichita State didn&apos;t hit the panic button though.&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-urban/7572" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Bailey Urban</a></dfn>&nbsp;opened the bottom of the fifth drawing a walk. Back-to-back singles from Hood and Brown quickly loaded the bases with no outs. A&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/caroline-tallent/7571" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Caroline Tallent</a></dfn>&nbsp;grounder to third should have been an out at home but the Tulsa catcher couldn&apos;t handle the throw, allowing two Shockers to score, cutting the deficit to just two. With runners on second and third, Garcia grounded out to short, but the third run of the frame came across to make it 8-7. Another Tulsa error and a Wong walk again loaded the bases, setting the scene for Barnard. On a 1-1 pitch, Barnard sent a deep drive to right, easily clearing the wall to send the near sellout crowd into a frenzy. Considering the stakes, her 92nd career home run might just have been the biggest and most memorable of them all. After a scoreless sixth, Tulsa came to the plate with one last chance in the seventh. A leadoff home run on a 2-2 pitch had the Golden Hurricane right back within two. Barber would calm her nerves to induce a ground out and line out, needing just one more out to complete the comeback. A lined shot off&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/taylor-sedlacek/7570" rel="smarttag" style="color: black;">Taylor Sedlacek&apos;s</a></dfn>&nbsp;glove in the hole gave Tulsa one last hope and the tying run coming to the plate. On the first pitch of the at bat MacKenzie Denson hit a soft grounder to Hood who fielded and fired to first for the final out.</div>

🥎 Barnard’s heroics send Shockers to AAC semifinals