Wichita State softball came out ahead by beating Bradley University this past weekend by winning two of the three games at Wilkins Stadium.

In the first matchup, the Shockers found themselves in a close game, behind 1-0 until the top of the sixth inning, when a grand slam came from Bradley catcher Kendall Duffy.

With the lead pushed to 5-0, WSU could not respond, only making four hits throughout the whole game, leaving all four of those batters stranded.

“‘Rollercoaster’ is the quote for the day,” head coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “In the first game, we came out with no energy and no excitement. I was very disappointed in that.”

WSU gave up three runs to start the second game and only managed to respond with one of their own in the bottom of the second. In the top of the third inning, the Braves added two more runs, despite strong pitching and defense.

After three scoreless innings for both teams, WSU trailed 5-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, where they tried to find a spark.

With one out, WSU’s Cacy Williams doubled to center field to ignite the Shocker bats. Williams scored on a single from Liz Broyles, and after a Paige Luellen single to center, the bases were loaded. WSU still trailed 5-2.

Paige Mason singled to keep the hitting streak alive, and the Shockers kept the pressure on, leaving the bases loaded and still scoring another run, cutting the lead to 5-3.

Brittany Fortner took the plate already having an impressive day going 3-3. Fortner singled through the first base gap, scoring Luellen and Broyles to tie the game at 5-5.

“I stayed confident hitting today,” Fortner said. “My team put me in the position to succeed by getting on base before me. They moved the ball in and out, but I was ready for everything.”

WSU won 6-5 on a walk-off single from Melanie Jaegers scoring the pinch runner.

“We were able to put something together there at the end,” Bredbenner said. “You just have to believe, believe that you can come back. Any inning can be a big inning.”

In the third, WSU’s bats continued the hot streak from the second game by opening the bottom of the first, scoring eight runs on six hits, aided by the Braves’s three errors.

WSU added one more in the second and third innings to lead 10-0 before BU was able to score three in the top of the fifth.

After leading 10-3, the bottom of the sixth held yet another three runs when Macklin Hitz homered to left field, pushing the WSU lead to 10 runs, effectively ending the game in six innings.

The Shocker defense was the story of the game. While the pitching gave up 10 hits, the defense only allowed three runs.

“That’s what we’ve been working on in practice,” freshman shortstop Kelli Spring said. “We’ve been working on it all winter and all season. We’re putting what we practice in the games.”

WSU travels to Tulsa, Okla., Tuesday to play Tulsa University at 5 p.m. It hosts Kansas University the following day at Wilkins Stadium.