WICHITA, Kan. – No. 21 UCF clinched the American Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 9-5 win over Wichita State Sunday at Wilkins Stadium.

Wichita State (32-15, 14-4) will now enter next week's conference tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Seniors Caitlin Bingham, Wylie Glover, Neleigh Herring and Erin McDonald all played their final home game at Wilkins Stadium. The quartet was honored before the game as part of Senior Day.

Lauren Lucas was hitless entering the final game of the series, but snapped out of it with a 3-for-4 day, including a home run. Sydney McKinney was 2-for-3 with a home run and Neleigh Herring had a pair of singles. Cassie Passwaters had just one at bat, but she got her money's worth, smashing a pinch-hit three-run home run.

McDonald (9-8) got the nod in the circle after a stellar performance Friday night in relief. The senior wasn't as sharp on Sunday, allowing four runs on six hits with no strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Bingham threw the final 3.0 innings, but also didn't have her best stuff. She walked five to go with five hits and five runs, although only one was earned.

Wichita State grabbed the early momentum on a leadoff solo home run from McKinney in the bottom of the first. UCF would come back to tie it at 1-1 in the top of the third on an RBI single.

A Lucas solo homer down the left field line in the home half of the third briefly gave the Shockers a 2-1 lead, but it would quickly evaporate. A three-run home run in the top of the fourth from Justene Molina vaulted the Knights into the lead, 4-2.

Behind a five-run top of the sixth, UCF blew the game open and grabbed a 9-2 cushion. Passwaters' three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth breathed a little life into the Shocker offense, but it wouldn't be enough.

A game-ending 5-3 double play in the seventh sealed the victory for UCF.

Up Next
Wichita State will now turn its attention to the American Athletic Conference Tournament next week in Greenville, N.C., May 12-14.