Wichita State softball faced about everything at the Mizzou Invitational over the weekend.
The Shockers won a pitcher’s duel and were run-ruled Friday. They found a run-rule victory and lost a slugfest Saturday, and Sunday’s game was canceled due to expected cold weather in Columbia, Mo.
Wichita State is now 10-7 after spending the first three weeks of the season away from Wilkins Stadium, a stretch that has thrown the Shockers into an immediate fire at times.
They also hit .316 with nine home runs and manufactured 24 total runs after the four games against Drake, Missouri and Miami (OH). In the circle, Wichita State allowed 23 runs and opponents to hit .354.
The Shockers’ home opener will be against in-state rival Kansas at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Friday
Senior Jade Sanders earned her second win this season on the bump and pitched another complete game as Wichita State beat Drake 3-2 to begin play Friday morning. She struck out five batters and gave up just eight hits.
The tone of a pitcher’s duel was dialed early, as the teams combined for just five hits through the first four innings. The Bulldogs finally broke the seal with a two-RBI single in the top of the fifth.
Sanders dug in the rest of the way, and the Shockers knotted the scoreboard just an inning later. Graduate outfielder Johnna Schroeder hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to score freshman Skylar Rodgers for the walk-off win.
Wichita State took a three-run lead over Missouri into the bottom of the fourth during Friday afternoon’s game, but the Tigers scored six in their half of the inning and eventually sealed the game after six, 12-4.
Sophomore pitcher Ryley Nihart was credited with her third loss of the season and five runs on six hits in 3⅔ innings in the circle. Two multi-RBI home runs capped off the disastrous fourth inning.
As a team, the Shockers hit 5-21 and struck out six times. Sophomore infielder Ausha Moore did hit her fourth homer of the season on a two-run shot to center field in the second inning, however.
Saturday
In a role reversal Saturday morning, Wichita State smacked four pitches over the fence at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia to defeat Drake again for a 10-1 win that ended after the fifth inning.
Senior infielder Chloe Rhine opened a five-run second inning with a solo shot. Freshman outfielder Mackenzie Rooney followed suit, and so did Moore, with home runs of their own.
Freshman infielder Kammie Smith hit the final home run of the game in the fifth inning, a three-run bop to left field for the Shockers’ 10th run. They made 11 hits in 25 at-bats.
Wichita State found itself in another high-scoring game Saturday afternoon, but Miami (OH) was able to match the plate production. The Shockers led by three going into the fourth inning, but a four-run surge by the RedHawks in that frame decided the final score, 8-7.
And despite the early scoring by either team, the defenses and pitchers buckled down and allowed just one hit the rest of the game.
Moore hit her third home run of the weekend for two RBI in the second inning, and junior outfielder Mickayla Tosch hit one in the third. Back-to-back home runs in the fourth for Miami started the game-deciding inning for the RedHawks.
