FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Madison Perrigan's two home run game lifted the Wichita State softball team to a 5-4 victory over Oklahoma State to advance to the NCAA Fayetteville Regional Championship game for the first time in program history.
Oklahoma State opened the game with back-to-back singles, but a fly out and line out double play from
Mackenzie Wright at third base kept the Cowgirls off the board.
Asea Webber sparked the offense in the second by battling back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk.
Ryleigh Buck followed up with a single straight up the middle with
Paige Luellen singling into left field to get Webber home and give the Shockers an early lead.
The Cowgirls responded in the third with a leadoff single and throwing error getting two on base. A fielder's choice got a runner out at second with a swinging strikeout by Lange stranding runners on the corners.
The Shockers pushed the lead to three in the third after
Laurie Derrico sparked a two-out offensive surge. She singled through the gap on the left side with Perrigan following up in the next at-bat with a rocket over the left field fence for her ninth home run of the season. The home run also gave Wichita State 58 on the season, tied for the most in a single season with the 2016 NCAA Regional squad.
The hits continued for Oklahoma State with a four-run rally in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and second with two outs, a throwing error scored a Cowgirl with an intentional walk loading the bases. Another walk scored a second with a single up the middle getting two home to give OSU a 4-3 lead.
The Shockers responded in the fifth. Wright reached first on a fielding error with a sacrifice bunt by Lange moving her to second. Perrigan again stepped up to crush a two-run home run over the left field fence to put the Shockers back on top 5-4. The home run was the Shockers 59th on the season, a new single season record.
In the sixth the Cowgirls loaded the bases behind a single, walk and hit by pitch but a reaching foul out by Lange stranded the runners. The Shockers also stranded three in the bottom half with Luellen singling,
Neleigh Herring reaching on an error and Wright singling but the Cowgirls battled back to get out of the jam.
Oklahoma State kept battling to load the bases again in the top of the seventh through a walk, single and intentional walk. A high pop out on a 3-2 count to Derrico at shortstop gave Wichita State (33-22) the 5-4 victory to advance to the NCAA Regional Championship for the first time in program history.
The Shockers will face No. 13 Arkansas tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. on either the SEC Network or ESPN3. Should the Shockers win game one, they will play the Razorbacks again due to the double elimination rule.
