STORRS, Conn. – Mackenzie Wright and
Bailey Lange led the Wichita State softball team to a 4-3 victory over UConn to sweep its first conference road series in two years. Wright went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and a single RBI while Lange went perfect through the first four innings in the circle.
Lange and the Shocker defense sat down the Huskies in order in the first and the second with the Shockers taking the lead in the third.
Morgan Palmer got on base with a single just over third base with Wright singling into right field to get runners on the corners.
Bailee Nickerson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with a passed ball advancing the runners and getting Palmer home.
Laurie Derrico then reached first on a fielder's choice with Wright getting home through an error to push the lead to 2-0.
Lange went three-up, three-down in the third with the Huskies getting their first runner on base in the fourth via walk.
In the fifth, the Shockers pushed the lead to three with Wright doubling to left field for her second hit of the game. Nickerson flew out to move her to third with Derrico reaching first on an error and Wright scoring.
In the sixth it became 4-0.
Asea Webber drew a walk to get on base with
Caitlin Bingham reaching on a hit by a pitch after pinch hitting for Perrigan. Wright then singled into right field, her third hit of the game, to get Webber home and increasing the Shocker lead.
Lange finally gave up her first hit of the game in the sixth. After a leadoff walk, the single just past the shortstop got two on base. Derrico made a spectacular play to get the first out by diving to stop the ball moving into the outfield and throwing to second to tag out the runner with the batter reaching first on the play. In the next at-bat only the second Huskies' hit of the game cut the lead to 4-3 through a three-run home run.
The Shockers got Derrico to second in the top of the seventh but couldn't get her home with UConn singling to lead off the bottom half and a wild pitch advancing the runner to second. Lange and the defense got the next three in order to give Wichita State their first conference road series sweep since April 2016.
Wichita State moved to 21-12 on the season and 4-2 in The American. Lange got the win (11-8) with the Shockers now looking to a week-long home stand in which they face in-state rivals Kansas in a single game on Wednesday night (6:00 p.m. first pitch) at Wilkins Stadium. After that they welcome Tulsa for a three game Havoc in the Heartland series at home, Friday through Sunday.
