The Terrific Ten has you covered on all the best highlights from all the action across college softball on Wednesday!
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1. Houston defends their home turf
With a bye week in store for the final weekend of the regular season, Houston hosted a rescheduled doubleheader against Texas A&M on Tuesday as their last games prior the American conference tournament. With just fourteen innings of regulation left in their year, the Cougars showed up against their SEC foe, sweeping both games from the Aggies.
Kenna Wilkey handled the job in the circle in game one, throwing just over five innings of 5-hit, 2-run ball before Hannah Todd closed the game in the circle. Kati Brown was the impact player at the plate in the opener, going 2-3 with a 2-run home run and a double to her credit. The Cougars scored what would ultimately be the winning run on an Aggie error in the second inning. In game two, the nightcap, Todd threw a complete game outing in the circle, giving up two runs herself while limiting the Aggies to just six baserunners.
Down 2-1 entering the bottom of the 7th, the Cougars got a runner on base, stole two bases, and scored on a wild pitch to tie things up. In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Emma Robertson lined a base hit into the right-center field gap that scored super senior Becca Schulte from first base to finish off the sweep.
2. Shall we discuss Payton Gottshall’s greatness?
Needing a couple of wins to make their footing much more comfortable en route to the MAC tournament, Bowling Green asked ace Payton Gottshall to take the ball in both games of a doubleheader against Central Michigan. Not only did the Falcons’ stud lead her team to a sweep of the two games, but she did it in downright impressive fashion.
In game one, Gottshall threw a 2-hitter, limiting CMU to one unearned run and striking out ten. After her team recorded the opening win, Gottshall returned to the circle in game two, notching another complete-game victory and this time allowing just one hit, no runs, and striking out five.
Gottshall moved to 23-9 on the year, second in program history in single-season victories and crossed the 300-strikeout threshold on the season in Wednesday’s first game. She is the first-ever Bowling Green pitcher to cross the 300-strikeouts mark in a single season, as just eight BGSU pitchers have even crossed that plateau in their full careers as Falcons.
3. Charlotte’s offense shows up in Greensboro
Coming back from deficits has not been Charlotte’s forte this spring; in fact, that very thing has been something of a thorn in the Niners’ side since the early points in the year. On Wednesday, though, the Niners showed that they may have just gotten that monkey off their backs with a come-from-behind victory against UNC Greensboro in Greensboro. Down 4-0 early in the contest, Charlotte scored ten runs in the game, including 2-run home runs from Lindsey Walljasper and Boo Vannoy. The Charlotte offense finished with ten runs on eleven hits and also worked four walks in the game.
After coming on in relief in the first inning, Madelyn Wright threw a gem in the circle for Charlotte, going seven innings and allowing five hits, one run, and collecting eight strikeouts.
4. Another Sunshine State classic
Anytime Florida and Florida State get together on the softball diamond, it makes for can’t-miss softball and Wednesday’s matchup was no exception. The final game of the season series between the two archrivals saw FSU host as they sought the series sweep after taking a tight win in Gainesville earlier in the year.
Elizabeth Hightower and Kathryn Sandercock were both excellent in the circle for the Gators and Noles, respectively, and both threw every pitch of the game for their team. Florida scored on an RBI groundout in the second inning and Florida State tied the game with a Sydney Sherrill RBI double in the third inning. That’s where the score remained until the seventh inning, when FSU’s Jahni Kerr walked off the Gators with a home run to right-center field that gave the Seminoles yet another impressive win in a pressure situation.
Florida State moved to 46-5 on the year with the win, while Florida is 38-14.
5. Iowa State can still win
Considered a tournament contender this season from the opening pitch, Iowa State has had some struggles at times but the Cyclones seem to have figured some things out down the stretch including on Wednesday night with a 9-0 run-rule-shortened win over Drake.
One of those contests that generally could go either way no matter either team’s record or results, this one was all ISU. The Cyclones scored nine runs on eight hits, including three runs in the first inning, one run in the second inning, three runs in the fourth, and two runs in the fifth to secure the run-rule. Angelina Allen led the ISU offense with a 2-2 performance and four RBIs to her credit, hitting a home run and earning a pair of walks.
Karlie Charles was excellent in the circle, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out five.
