Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
TULSA, Okla. – No. 19 Wichita State secured its sixth straight conference series win with a pair of wins at Tulsa on Saturday, 17-2 and 8-2.
Wichita State (42-8, 15-2) also clinched at least a share of the 2023 American Athletic Conference regular season title with the two wins. It marks the second regular season title in the last three years and fourth conference title in school history.
The 42 wins are the second-most in school history, trailing only the 2005 team at 46.
Sydney McKinney continued her climb up the NCAA all-time hits list, passing Kelly Kretschman for sixth place with 370 career hits.
Game 1
McKinney was responsible for nearly half of Wichita State's nine hits, going 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. Addison Barnard scored twice to go with a pair of bunt singles and Krystin Nelson singled twice in three at bats along with a couple of runs scored. Lauren Lucas walked a career-high four times to go with two RBI. Lauren Mills was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Sami Hood drove in two.
Alex Aguilar (14-2) recorded the win after throwing 4.0 innings before play was suspended. She allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three. Alison Cooper threw the final 3.0 innings of shutout relief on Saturday.
McKinney sparked a two-run top of the third with a leadoff double. Barnard laid down a bunt single and a throwing error on the play allowed McKinney to score. Barnard then stole second and advanced to third on another Tulsa error, and Lucas took advantage sending a deep fly ball to center, bringing Barnard in to make it 2-0.
Tulsa didn't waste any time in tying the game in the home half of the third. Three straight doubles with one out evened the game at 2-2.
Play was suspended in the top of the fifth due to rain with two Shockers on base and no outs. When the game resumed Saturday, Barnard laid down a perfect bunt single to immediately load the bases. A walk to Lucas and a sac fly from Zoe Jones put the Shockers back in front, 4-2. A sharp grounder off the bat of Sami Hood was too hot to handle for the Tulsa shortstop, allowing two more runs to come home, making it 6-2.
Wichita State upped the lead in the top of the sixth behind Mills' bases loaded walk and Hood's bases loaded hit by pitch.
Game 2
Lucas led the hit parade, going 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Barnard was 2-for-3 with a double, home run, two RBI and three runs scored. McKinney drove in a pair behind two singles, while scoring two more.
Zoe Jones drove in a game-high four runs behind a double and her third triple of the season. Sami Hood was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Taylor Sedlacek (home run) and Lainee Brown had a hit apiece, while scoring twice.
Lauren Howell (17-2) won her team-high 17th game in the circle behind a complete game. She struck out four, allowing two runs on only three hits.
Wichita State didn't waste any time putting runs on the board. Six runs came across in the top of the first behind a Barnard RBI double, Jones two-run triple, Hood RBI double and Sedlacek two-run home run.
It didn't get much better for Tulsa in the second, as Wichita State tacked on eight more. Barnard opened the frame with a monster solo home run, her 14th of the season and 69th career. With the bases then loaded, Hood drove in a run on a sac fly and Nelson drew a bases loaded walk. The final five runs of the inning were courtesy of a two-run single from McKinney, Lucas RBI single and Jones two-run double.
Another bases loaded walk for Nelson in the top of the third made it 15-0 and then Caroline Tallent upped the margin to 17-0 on a two-run double into the left-center gap.
Tulsa broke up the no hitter and shutout in the bottom of the third behind a two-run home run.
Up Next
No. 19 Wichita State and Tulsa wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+.