WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State’s run in the American Athletic Conference Championship came to an end in the title game, falling in five innings to No. 2 seed Charlotte, 10-1, Saturday afternoon at Wilkins Stadium.

Wichita State (28-22) dropped to 1-1 all-time in the AAC title game and is now 6-4 all-time in the championship after playing its fourth game in four days.

The Shockers managed just four hits on the day, all singles except for a Lainee Brown double. CC Wong, Bailey Urban and Sami Hood combined for the three other hits. Addison Barnard was intentionally walked all three times after going 7-for-9 with an AAC Championship record six home runs and 13 RBI. Barnard was named the AAC Championship Most Outstanding Player for her record-breaking week. She is the first Shocker to earn MOP honors twice, also doing it as a freshman in 2021.

She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Wong, Hood and Brown.

Charlotte needed just one batter to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Arianna Rodi’s leadoff home run.

Wichita State put a runner at third in the top of the second after Hood reached on a bunt single, but she was left stranded to end the frame. Wichita State was 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the game, while Charlotte capitalized on its opportunities, going 5-for-12.

The first four Niners all reached to open the bottom of the second and then Rodi’s second home run of the game cleared the bags for a grand slam, putting Charlotte in complete control, 6-0. Two more would come into score in the frame, completing a seven-run inning.

Wichita State’s best scoring chance came in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded and only one out, but back-to-back strikeouts kept the Shockers off the board.

Charlotte tacked on two more in the bottom half, upping its lead to 10-0.

Urban’s RBI single in the top of the fifth broke up the shutout, but the next three all went down in order to end the game in five innings.