Baseball
Wichita State’s baseball team won its opening series in the American Conference against Charlotte after a Game 1 win on Friday.
The Shockers dropped Game 2, 19-6, after leading by four runs through four innings Saturday. The 49ers put up big six- and seven-run innings in the seventh and ninth innings during a collapse on the mound for Wichita State. Junior Brady Hamilton (3-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs on nine hits in 5 ⅓ innings pitched.
Wichita State rebounded in the series finale against Charlotte with a convincing 7-2 win on Sunday afternoon. In five innings on the mound, Johnny Nuanez (3-0) struck out six 49ers batters in winds that peaked near 40 mph.
Seniors Jayson Jones and Owen Washburn came up big in the batter’s box during the eighth inning, delivering four runs on a two-RBI single and a two-RBI double, respectively.
The Shockers, now 17-9 and 2-1 in the American, face Memphis for a three-game series beginning at 6:05 p.m. Friday at FedEx Park in Memphis, Tenn.
Softball
Another walk-off home run secured a series win for Wichita State’s softball team against Florida Atlantic over the weekend.
Junior Trinity Allen smacked one to give the Shockers the win in Game 1 on Friday, and freshman Mackenzie Rooney followed up with a two-RBI blast in extra innings of Game 2 for a 10-8 victory on Saturday.
Rooney is now hitting .237 with four homers and 11 RBI during her first season of collegiate softball.
But after the Game 1 and 2 heroics, Wichita State dropped the finale and missed out on the series sweep in a pitcher’s duel Sunday afternoon, 2-1.
Freshman Kammie Smith plated freshman Kinzey Woody on a fielder’s choice in the first inning, but that was the only run production the Shockers managed for the game. The Owls scored their two runs in the third and sixth innings on a solo home run and sacrifice flyout, respectively.
The Shockers will move on from their missed sweep and turn their attention to a weekend series at South Florida from Friday to Sunday. Sunday’s 3 p.m. game will stream on ESPNU.
Men’s tennis
The Shockers’ men’s tennis team won their eighth-straight game this season by rattling off three more against Coastal Carolina, UNC Wilmington and No. 56 Charlotte.
The 4-2 win over the 49ers was the team’s third nationally-ranked win of the season to extend its win streak to the longest since 2008, when they won 10 in-a-row.
Coastal Carolina didn’t stand a chance Tuesday afternoon, as Wichita State steamrolled the Chanticleers in a 4-0 decision.
UNC Wilmington presented the toughest task for the Shockers, as the match was pushed to the final game on Thursday afternoon. Wichita State eventually continued its streak with a 4-3 decision over the Seahawks.
WSU Senior Luke Bracks flexed his clutch genes, winning on singles court six in a 6-4, 7(7)-6(3) game against UNC Wilmington’s Brady Hussey to claim the win. The Shockers faced little doubt against Charlotte on Saturday morning, dropping just two singles courts en route to the 4-2 victory.
Next up, Wichita State will return home for a rivalry match against Tulsa at noon on Wednesday at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex.
Women’s golf
The women’s golf team placed last out of 16 teams at the MountainView Collegiate, hosted by Kansas State in Tucson, Ariz., from Friday to Sunday.
The Shockers finished the three-round tournament with 918 strokes as a team (54 over-par). No. 25 Iowa State won with a score of 844 (20 under-par), beating Wichita State by 74 strokes over the weekend.
Senior Mackenzie Wilson manufactured the best individual finish for Wichita State, placing in a tie for 60th place with rounds of 75, 77 and 74 to finish 10 over-par. Freshman Magdalena Domine and senior Kate Tilma finished in a tie for 65th place after shooting 227 (11 over-par) during the three-round tournament.
Wichita State will play in its final regular season tournament this year from April 13-14 at the Big ‘O’ Classic in Omaha, Neb. The American Conference Women’s Golf Championship will run from April 20 through April 22.
