TAMPA, Fla. — Wichita State's offense never got going in a 3-1 loss to South Florida on Saturday at USF Softball Stadium.
 
The loss for the Shockers (19-12, 7-4) sets up a rubber match Sunday against South Florida (26-11, 8-3). The game, which lasted 1 hour, 40 minutes, was the shortest 7-inning contest Wichita State has played this season.
 
After the teams exchanged scoreless frames in the first and second innings, South Florida opened the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles and later broke through with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring.
 
Ausha Moore responded for the Shockers, leading off the fourth inning with a solo home run — her team-leading 10th of the season.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, South Florida regained the lead with a leadoff double followed by an RBI single to go up 2-1.
 
Neither team scored in the fifth, but the Bulls added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1.
 
Wichita State went down in order in the seventh.
 
Ava Sliger (4-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits. Wichita State managed just four hits.
 
Up Next
Wichita State faces South Florida in the series finale at 3 p.m. CT Sunday on ESPNU at USF Softball Stadium.