After losing to Oral Roberts earlier this season, the Shockers were eager to redeem themselves for the home opener. On Tuesday afternoon, Wichita State scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning and never trailed the Golden Eagles leading to a final score of 6-4.

The Shockers picked up their fourth consecutive win as they ended ORU’s eight-game winning streak.

“Offensively, we had a big inning and we held on till the end,” Head Coach Eric Wedge said. 

Joining the starting lineup for the WSU was freshman Will Stark. Stark delivered a two out RBI single into left center, earning the first two runs of the game. Stark went 3-for-4 at bat, his first hits of his collegiate career. 

“I was able to get in and do my job for this team to get the job done in left field and in the box at the same time, and it was a great feeling,” Stark said.

With junior Andrew Stewart, the two paced a 14-hit attack. Stewart, who also went 3-for-4, picked up one more run after his RBI.

“For a true freshman going out for his first start, he (Stark) did a fantastic job,” Wedge said. 

Sophomore Cameron Bye made his first start, after four previous appearances out of the bullpen this season. Bye delivered three innings pitched, allowing only two hits and one unearned run.

“I thought he did a nice job of starting the game and getting deeper into the game for us,” Wedge said.

Oral Roberts put up their first run at the top of the fourth with Alec Jones’s two-out RBI single.

In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Payton Tolle responded right back to the Golden Eagles with his second homer of the season. Tolle hit the ball straight over the center field fence. Previously, Tolle had two strikeouts, but he did not let that affect his confidence. He continued to pick two extra-base hits for the evening.

“My first two at bats were alright,” Tolle said. “I felt like I was on time. Third at bat, I went up there with confidence and tried and put the ball in play, and did that, and it went far for me.”

Tolle was a huge factor in winning the Frisco Classic Tournament and improving his earned run average (ERA) to 0.93. Tolle went 4-for-7 at the plate last weekend, with five RBI’s and his towering home run in the seventh inning to pull the Shockers ahead of Texas A&M.

“I try to have as much fun as possible,” Tolle said. “It’s not the end of the world if I strike out, and I know I’ll get another AB. I’ve been trying to keep my head up the entire season even whenever I am struggling, but just knowing that hits are coming. You’ve got to love the game and you’ve got to have fun.”

Coming off a big win in the Frisco Classic Tournament, the Shockers carried that confidence with them as they traveled back to Wichita.

“We played very good teams there,” Wedge said. “Obviously, the Frisco Classic is a very prestigious tourney. For us to win there I think these men developed a lot of confidence in themselves, and, particularly, we had to come back a couple different times, so it was nice to jump out and lead today. That’s something we hadn’t done yet.”

Next, the Shockers will face South Dakota State for a three-game series at home, starting on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.