TULSA, Oklahoma – The UCF softball team fell short of the American Athletic Conference tournament championship on Saturday, falling 7-4 to No. 25 Wichita State at the Collins Family Softball Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Home runs dominated the day as UCF first baseman Jazmine Esparza knocked a career-high two long balls out of the park, but the Shockers' answered back with a trio of home runs, accounting for all seven of their runs.
Esparza's first home run, a two-run shot, and a Denali Schappacher RBI single would put UCF up 3-0 early, but a Wichita State two-run home run in third would cut their deficit to 3-2, and three-run home run two innings later would give them the lead. A third home run would put the nail in the coffin, extending the Shockers' lead to 7-3.
The Knights didn't go down without a fight as senior Jazmine Esparza hit her second home run of the day, a solo shot, in the sixth inning to cut the Knights' deficit to 7-4. UCF made another late push in the top of the seventh, sending the tying run to the plate, but Shocker reliever Caitlin Bingham retired the final batter on a ground out to end the game and secure her team's first AAC tournament championship in program history.
"I thought we played well enough to win. We were one swing away from tying the game… And it just didn't go our way," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone.
"It wasn't the outcome we wanted," said Jazmine Esparza. "But we went out there and fought until the end and continuously pushed. We've still got a lot of game left in us."
Esparza, Schappacher, Gianna Mancha and Allyse Volpe were all named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts over the weekend.
The Knights will await their postseason fate as the NCAA Tournament Selection Show is set to air Sunday, May 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Without the automatic bid from winning conference, the Knights will rely on making the cut as one of 33 at-large bids in the 64-team tournament field.
Key Moments
- The Knights wasted little time getting on the board as Knights' first baseman Jazmine Esparza hit a two-run home run in the top of the first to give UCF the 2-0 lead.
- UCF shortstop Kaitlyn Jensen led off the top of the third with a double to center field and came around to score on a Denali Schappacher RBI single, extending UCF's lead to 3-0.
- Wichita State outfielder Addison Barnard hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to cut the Shockers' lead to 3-2.
- In the bottom of the fifth, Shockers' catcher Madison Perrigan hit a three-run home run to give them the 5-3 lead.
- Three batters later, Ryleigh Buck hit a two-run shot to extend Wichita State's lead to 7-3.
- Esparza hit another home run in the top of the sixth, a solo shot, to cut the Knights' deficit to 7-4.
NOTABLES
- With the two RBI off her home run in the first, Esparza recorded RBIs number 42 and 43. Her 43 RBI on season are tied for fourth most by a Knight in a single season and ties the most by any UCF player not named Stephanie Best.
- With the two home runs, Esparza is jus the third Knight to hit two home runs in an AAC tournament game, joining Farrah Sullivan (2012-15) and Mariah Garcia (2013-15) who each hit two on May 8 2014 vs UConn.
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