Baseball wins third game of UConn series at home

Jacqueline Elson, Reporter|April 15, 2018

Wichita State’s Luke Ritter celebrates after scoring against UConn Sunday afternoon.

The Shockers had a tough weekend against the Huskies as they lost both games in their doubleheader on Friday, but came back for a 15-7 win on Sunday. The team now has a 24-9 record this season.

UConn was the first to score in the fifth during game one on Friday, and WSU only put up four runs without scoring until the bottom of the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Shockers saw a better hit when junior Luke Ritter hit a home run out of right center field, but they were still behind 6-3. The Shockers were able to score one more time in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too late in the game as UConn would still be up 7-4 by the end.

Game two that day still came with more challenges for WSU. The Huskies had already scored five runs in just the first inning, while WSU had only put up one. In the top of the fourth, UConn had two home runs, keeping them ahead 8-2.

The Shockers were able to score their last two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Gunnar Troutwine doubled to left center with two RBI, sending home juniors Alec Bohm and Jordan Boyer.

By the end of the ninth, neither team had put up any more runs, but UConn was able to take the second game 9-4.

Sunday was a better game for the Shockers at the plate, starting off strong by scoring five runs in the first inning, and UConn trailing behind with only one.

Junior Greyson Jenista, who was 3-for-4, singled through the left side with two RBI, allowing senior Trey Vickers and Ritter to score. A few moments later, Boyer singled to right center field with two RBI, sending Bohm and Jenista home.

“Central Arkansas we’ve seen, KU we see every year, so it’s gonna be pretty familiar territory for us at home,” Greyson Jenista said. “We need to get back down to the warmer weather so we can get the bats going a little more consistently and out of the cold.”

Then junior Travis Young, who was 4-for-4 and led the team with four RBI, singled to right field, letting junior Dayton Dugas score at home.

“The first two games were tough, but we’re working on it, we gotta stop making errors,” Travis Young said. “It’ll start happening, things will click together. We’ve done it for four years now, so we’re just gonna go out there and play and I think it’s gonna happen.”

UConn scored two more runs in the third, but it was relatively quiet until the bottom of the sixth. Vickers singled to right field, sending Boyer home. Then on a wild pitch, Vickers advanced to third and Young scored, keeping the Shockers ahead 7-3.

WSU put up six more runs in the seventh, leaving UConn still behind 13-6. Then in the eighth, Young doubled to left center field with two RBI and took third on a throwing error, ending the play with DeBacker and Jenista scoring at home.

The Shockers are home for two mid-week games when they play Central Arkansas on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and KU at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.