May 11, 2024

🥎 Shockers fall in AAC title game to charlotte

Posted May 11, 2024 3:00 PM
Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
Photo courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics

  WICHITA, Kan. â€” Wichita State's run in the American Athletic Conference Championship came to an end in the title game, falling in five innings to No. 2 seed Charlotte, 10-1, Saturday afternoon at Wilkins Stadium.

Wichita State (28-22) dropped to 1-1 all-time in the AAC title game and is now 6-4 all-time in the championship after playing its fourth game in four days.

The Shockers managed just four hits on the day, all singles except for a Lainee Brown double. CC WongBailey Urban and Sami Hood combined for the three other hits. Addison Barnard was intentionally walked all three times after going 7-for-9 with an AAC Championship record six home runs and 13 RBI. Barnard was named the AAC Championship Most Outstanding Player for her record-breaking week. She is the first Shocker to earn MOP honors twice, also doing it as a freshman in 2021.

She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Wong, Hood and Brown.

Charlotte needed just one batter to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Arianna Rodi's leadoff home run.

Wichita State put a runner at third in the top of the second after Hood reached on a bunt single, but she was left stranded to end the frame. Wichita State was 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the game, while Charlotte capitalized on its opportunities, going 5-for-12.

The first four Niners all reached to open the bottom of the second and then Rodi's second home run of the game cleared the bags for a grand slam, putting Charlotte in complete control, 6-0. Two more would come into score in the frame, completing a seven-run inning.

Wichita State's best scoring chance came in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded and only one out, but back-to-back strikeouts kept the Shockers off the board.

Charlotte tacked on two more in the bottom half, upping its lead to 10-0.

Urban's RBI single in the top of the fifth broke up the shutout, but the next three all went down in order to end the game in five innings.  

CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.