Shockers Ousted in AAC Quarterfinals by North Texas

TAMPA, Fla. – No. 4 seed North Texas put up six runs in the first inning and held on for an 8-4 win over No. 5 seed Wichita State in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Wichita State saw its season come to an end at 29-25-1. North Texas advances to Friday’s semifinals where they will face top seed Florida Atlantic.

Ellee Eck closed her collegiate career with a three-hit day, including a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Krystin Nelson was 2-for-3 and Lauren Lucas tripled and walked in their final game. Taylor Sedlacek walked twice and singled. Brookelyn Livanec singled, drove in a run and walked twice to cap a standout freshman campaign.

Wichita State’s three doubles in the game moved its season total to 88, a new single season school record.

In the circle, Ava Sliger (7-7) didn’t make it out of the first inning, as North Texas lit her up for six runs. Ryley Nihart was stellar in 5.2 innings out of the bullpen. She allowed just two runs on three hits, three walks and three strikeouts a day after throwing a full 7-inning complete game vs. Tulsa.

North Texas hung six runs on six hits on the Shockers in the bottom of the first. The Mean Green tallied four singles, a double and then capped the inning with a three-run home run.

Wichita State broke into the scoring column in the top of the third on back-to-back hits from Nelson and Eck. Nelson led off with a single and a fielding error by the left fielder, and it immediately turned into a run in the next at bat when Eck dropped a double down the right field line. Eck would end up on third thanks to a throwing error on the right fielder. That extra base immediately paid off, as Eck came in to score on a wild pitch, just sliding in before the tag to cut the deficit to 6-2.

The Shockers continued their comeback attempt with a single run in the fourth and fifth to make it a 6-4 game. In the fourth, Eck added her second RBI of the game on a single back up the middle.

With two outs in the fifth, Wichita State’s two freshmen came up clutch. Gabby Scott smoked a ground-rule double and then came around to score on Brookelyn Livanec’s single down the left field line.

A leadoff triple sparked a two-run bottom of the fifth for North Texas after Nihart had held them scoreless for 3.2 innings.