Caton Homers in Loss at Wichita State

Thursday, April 30

Wichita, Kan.

6 p.m.

University of Memphis

18-36, 6-19

Wichita State

33-16, 19-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Memphis	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	5	0
Wichita State	0	0	2	2	0	4	X	8	8	0

Photo by: Steven Spehar

Apr 30, 2026 | Softball

Box Score

WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Memphis softball team fell in its series opener at Wichita State by a score of 8-2 Thursday evening at Wilkins Stadium.

Memphis (18-36, 6-19 American) was held scoreless until the sixth inning and was within two runs of tying the game before a grand slam put Wichita State (33-16, 19-6 American) ahead by six in the sixth.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both sides worked through pressure in the first pair of innings.
- Avery Stutts stranded three runners through her first innings of the evening.
- Wichita State turned a double play in each of the first two innings.
A potential rally-starter for Memphis in the third was quelled after Paris Brienesse was deemed to have left first base early after review.
- Brienesse reached on a bunt single with two outs in the inning.
The Shockers got on the board in the bottom of the third on a two-RBI double off the bat of Johnna Schroeder.
- The two baserunners who scored reached on a walk and a hit-by-pitch on an 0-2 count.
Wichita State doubled its lead on a two-RBI single by Ausha Moore in the fourth.
- Memphis stranded runners at second and third in the top half of the inning.
Memphis stranded two more in the fifth after Kayla Clement was hit by a pitch and Paris Brienesse drew a walk.
The Tigers got on the board in the sixth on a solo home run off the bat of Taylor Caton.
Memphis continued to show a strong presence at the plate with four walks in its next five batters in the sixth, with Deana Cunningham drawing a bases-loaded walk for another RBI.
- Brienesse grounded out on a lined shot to third to strand the bases loaded.
Wichita doubled its run total on a two-out grand slam off the bat of freshman Kinzey Woody.
Two Tigers reached in the seventh, Neely Taylor on a walk and Faith Brown on a single, but both were stranded to end the game.

NOTABLES

With Caton's home run in today's game, Memphis has just its third-ever season with 40-plus home runs, and the first since 2008.
The Tigers have back-to-back seasons with 50-plus sacrifice hits for the first time since the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
- Last season's team finished with 52 and the 2026 lineup currently has 50 after tonight.
- The Tigers become the fifth team in Division I with at least 50 sacrifice hits.
Memphis has tied the single-season program record for hit-by-pitches with a 44^th by Faith Brown in tonight's loss.
The Tigers now have 154 walks on the season, the highest single-season total since drawing 160 in 2018.
Memphis' now 209 RBI surpass last season's total and are the fourth-most in a season.
Taylor Caton homered in her second-straight game, giving Memphis its first run in the sixth inning.
- Caton now sits at five home runs in her freshman campaign, also recorded her 14^th RBI of the season.
Neely Taylor went 1-for-3 in the leadoff spot with a walk.
- Taylor now has a team-best 11 walks in conference play.
Ariel Davis was 1-for-3 on the day, also drawing a walk.
- Davis extends her active hitting streak to seven games and is now tied with Faith Brown for hits in conference play with 26 hits.
Faith Brown logged a hit in her only at-bat, also reaching on a hit-by-pitch.
- Brown maintains a 1.044 OPS in all contests and a team-high 1.040 OPS in conference play.
Deana Cunningham reached once on an RBI walk that gave Memphis its second run of the sixth inning.
- Cunningham picked up her 13^th RBI in American Conference play on her 10^th walk in conference play.
Paris Brienesse logged one hit on a bunt single, also reaching on a walk.
- Brienesse has been ruled out due to leaving early in each of the last two conference series.
Jasmine Mack recorded a run scored after reaching on a walk, also putting down a sacrifice bunt.

UP NEXT

Game two of the series is set for a 6 p.m. start tomorrow, with Pat Strathman on play-by-play and Cacy Williams on color for the ESPN+ broadcast.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Softball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram , and Facebook.