Bailey Urban plays the hero to lift Wichita State softball to dramatic ranked win
Finally healthy, Bailey Urban is showing what she can do for the Wichita State softball team.
The redshirt-senior outfielder has filled the void of power left in the Shockers’ lineup and been the hero so far this week in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge against nationally ranked opponents.
On Wednesday, Urban crushed a grand slam against No. 25 Auburn with WSU down to its final out to spur a five-run comeback. WSU eventually lost 8-6 in extra innings, but Urban delivered another clutch hit on Thursday with a go-ahead, 2-RBI double in the seventh inning to lift the Shockers to a 6-5 win over No. 20 South Carolina.
In the two games against SEC aces, Urban finished 5-for-8 at the plate with a team-high six RBIs. The Shockers (3-2) finish the four-game tournament with a 12:30 p.m. Saturday game against UC Davis.
While WSU has earned its reputation as one of the best mid-major programs in college softball, the team was unsure what to expect playing three of the best teams in the country this early into a reloading season. The Shockers like their potential, but they figured they wouldn’t tap into that until they gained experience throughout the season.
To push Auburn to extra innings and rally to beat South Carolina — the program’s fourth ranked win over the last two seasons — has been a pleasant surprise. Especially considering WSU has faced All-American pitchers on nationally-ranked teams in three straight games in Puerto Vallarta.
Stanford transfer Alana Vawter shut out the Shockers last season in Wichita, but WSU managed to score five runs on 10 hits against her in the circle for South Carolina this year. Meanwhile, WSU freshman Chloe Barber made the start, struck out eight hitters and re-entered in the seventh to record her first career save.
Down to its final three outs and faced with a 5-2 deficit, WSU strung together five straight hits to open the top of the seventh inning. Krystin Nelson led off with a single, followed by a double from Grand Canyon transfer C.C. Wong and a 2-RBI single by All-American Addison Barnard. Sami Hood reached on a bunt single to set up the heroics by Urban, who laced a double down the left-field line to score both runners.
South Carolina threatened late, as a lead-off double and a hit by pitch put its first two runners on base. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with only one out, Barber re-entered the game in the circle.
Barber walked the first batter to load the bases, then coaxed an infield ground ball that freshman Sydney Zenon fielded at first and threw home to cut down the tying run. The South Carolina hitter, Zoe Laneaux, thought the out at home was the end of the game and vacated first base, which allowed WSU to record the final out in bizarre fashion.
This story was originally published February 16, 2024 at 6:03 AM.
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