Friday

While Friday’s game may not have been pretty, the Shockers managed to snag the win against Bradley, 4-3 in the 10th.

AJ Ladwig, the starting pitcher for the Shockers, threw eight innings while only two runs were scored against him.

“I didn’t think he had his best stuff tonight but he competes, and he kept us in the ball game,” head coach Todd Butler said.  

It wasn’t necessarily the pitching that got the Shockers into a sticky game, but rather the fielding with three errors accrued.

Wichita State entered the ninth inning 3-2 as Aaron Labrie stepped on the mound to relieve AJ Ladwig, but the lead would not last long. Bradley scored one run off Lebrie making the score 3-3.

Foster Vielock went in for Lebrie in the 10th to shut Bradley down.

“Vielock came in late in the game but got out of the bases loaded cam,” Butler said. “He is a competitor.”

Tanner Dearmen ended up being the team’s savior as he hit a walk off single to right that scored Tyler Baker for the game-winning run.

Saturday

The Shockers had their bats warmed up on Saturday as they beat the Redbirds 7-0 with the help of the always-consistent Cale Elam.

Elam only gave up two hits for his eight innings pitched while an errorless defense backed him up to do so.

“I love playing defense behind him,” said first baseman Casey Gillaspie. “He’s an even greater person, so it’s good to score him some runs.

 It wasn’t just Elam who was doing all the work.

Switch-hitter Casey Gillaspie put the first run on the board in the bottom of the first thanks to a single homerun, and he did it again in the seventh on the other side of the plate gaining an additional two RBIs.

“He’s one of the premier hitters in college baseball,” Butler said.

Gillaspie now has 12 homeruns this season, which is the highest number of homeruns Wichita State has seen in the last 10 years.

“I was just looking for something in the air to get that run across,” Gillaspie said.

While Gillaspie homered in the seventh, he wasn’t the only getting loud offensively.

Zair Koeiman had the first hit in the six-run-rally in the seventh, right after Dayne Parker walked. Tanner Dearman brought both home due to a single, making the score 3-0. Dearman and Daniel Kihle advanced to home because of a throwing error by Bradley’s pitcher.

Reagan Biechler closed the game for Wichita State giving up one hit.

Sunday

Despite Bradley scoring four runs in Sunday afternoon’s matchup against Wichita State, the Shockers wouldn’t let the Redbirds early lead get them down. The Shockers won the game 8-4.

Sam Tewes was the starting pitcher who gave up two runs in the top of the second only to give up two more runs after the Shockers had just caught up to the Redbirds lead.

“He (Tewes) competed. He gave all he could,” Butler said.

Aaron Lebrie relieved Tewes in the fifth when the score 4-2, Bradley.

“I just came right at them today,” Lebrie said. “It’s a lot easier when you’re working ahead in the count instead of always behind.”

Lebrie would get the win for the game, but the pitching weight was slightly relieved by WSU’s offensive tenacity. The team put two runs up in the bottom of the second, fifth, sixth, and seventh.

Shortstop Dayne Parker contributed to the score, gaining three RBIs, two of which were from his homerun in the fifth.

Right fielder Garret Bayliff snagged two of his own RBIs as well with one in the second and one in the sixth.

Zair Koeiman did work offensive most of the weekend. Koeiman has begun to see more playing time at second base, and it looks like the Shockers are benefitting from it.

“It might be a little bit late, but there’s no better time than now,” Butler said of Koeiman.