WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita State softball team fell 3-2 to Memphis in its American Athletic Conference opener with two solo home runs the offensive highlight for the Shockers.
Despite a leadoff single,
Bailey Lange got out the first inning unscathed by leaving two Tigers on base. In the bottom half the Shockers looked like coming up empty until
Laurie Derrico battled back from two strikes down to crush a solo home run over the left field fence for an early 1-0 lead, her second home run in four games.
A big defensive play in the second kept the Tigers off the board. After Memphis got a base runner through a walk, a double to center field eventually ended with a rundown at third kick-started by Lange and ending with a
Mackenzie Wright tag out.
The Tiger bats continued to stay hot with a leadoff triple in the third followed by a single to tie the game. A sacrifice bunt was quickly followed by another single through the middle to give Memphis a 2-1 lead.
Lange pitched her first three up, three down in the fourth with the Shockers tying the game in the bottom half. A first pitch bomb from
Bailee Nickerson sailed over the left center fence to pull Wichita State level at 2-2, her first home run since the opening weekend back in February.
A leadoff single for Memphis in the fifth was quickly followed by a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt to get runners on the corners.
Bailey Klitzke replaced Lange in the circle but a sacrifice fly out to left field got a runner home to put Memphis back on top 3-2. Klitzke's first strikeout of the day and a groundout ended the inning.
The Shockers got runners on the corners in the third with Wright singling into right field, Derrico followed up with a single into left field but a first pitch fly out from
Paige Luellen stopped the Shocker offense.
The Shockers retired the Tigers in the top of the seventh with Perrigan drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom half to get the tying run at first base.
Cassidy Kelsheimer came in to run with
Ryleigh Buck executing the sacrifice bunt perfectly to get the runner to second but two straight swinging strikeouts gave Memphis the win.
Wichita State move to 16-11 (0-1) with the Tigers moving to 22-7 (1-0). Lange (9-7) took the loss with the Shockers set to face Memphis in game two with first pitch at 3:00 p.m.
