Box Score

WACO, Texas—The Wichita State softball team used a one-hitter through 5.1 innings pitched by Ashlynne Neil and a two-run, two-out double in the top of the sixth by Cacy Williams to defeat Stephen F. Austin, 2-1, on Saturday at the Getterman Classic in Waco. As the Shockers moved to 2-1, Stephen F. Austin dropped to 1-2.

With the win, the Shockers earned the No. 2 seed in the Getterman Classic bracket play and will play Stephen F. Austin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday for the second time in as many games.

Neil's first victory of the year included the one hitter, allowed a run (earned), five walks and three strikeouts. Kelsey Sterneker earned her first save of the season after pitching the final 1.2 innings pitched in relief, giving up just two hits.

For the Jacks, Makayla Sikes pitched all seven innings and gave up two runs (both earned) on eight hits, allowed two walks and had two strikeouts.

Williams was responsible for both Shocker RBI, as she also went 1-4. Brittany Fortner continued her hot start to the season, going 2-4 from the plate. In each of the Shockers' three games, Fortner has had at least two hits.

WSU's game with Stephen F. Austin was a pitcher's duel, as it was scoreless through the first five innings. After five innings, both teams only had five hits combined and had left 10 runners on base.

Out of the five total hits through the first five innings, Fortner had two of the hits and Kelli Spring had the other.

Wichita State had their first run-scoring chance with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fifth with Paige Mason at the plate, but she flied out to Lindsay Campbell to end the rally.

The top of the sixth became one of the most crucial point in the game for the Shockers. Wichita State used six substitutions that all proved to be critical in their victory against the Jacks.

Each of the substitutions in the top of the sixth inning were as follows, in this order: McKenzie Adams (pinch running for Liz Broyles), Erin Carney (pinch hitting for Layne Greenlee), Kennedy Long (pinch hitting for Ashley Johnson), Macklin Hitz (pinch hitting for Kelli Spring), Johnson (pinch-ran for Long after Long walked in her pinch-hit at bat), and Spring (pinch-ran for Hitz after Hitz singled through the left side).

After Spring came in to pinch run, the Shockers had their second bases-loaded situation with two outs in as many innings. With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Williams hit a shot to the left-center field gap to break the tie with a 2-RBI double, scoring Ashley Johnson from second and McKenzie Adams from third to give WSU a 2-0 lead.

Stephen F. Austin had the bases loaded and two outs with the tying run at second, and the go-ahead run at first when Taylor Fraccastoro hit a swinging bunt that scored Heather Hollingswort, cutting the Shocker lead in half. Moments later, Sterneker forced a Taylor LeFlore groundout to Spring that ended the Stephen F. Austin rally. The score was 2-1 in favor of the Shockers through six innings.

To begin the bottom of the seventh, Holloway doubled to right center. With Holloway on third and one out, Johnson made a crucial throw into home plate just before Holloway could break for home in an attempt to tie the game right after the second out was recorded.

Cassidy Ivy, pinch-hitting for Hollingswort, worked a full-count against Sterneker before popping out to Spring to end the game.

The winner of the WSU/Stephen F. Austin game at 5:30 plays against the winner of the Baylor/Texas A&M Corpus Christi game at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the Sunday championship game, as the loser will play in the Sunday consolation game.

-WICHITA STATE-