Softball
Softball swept conference opponent East Carolina on the road, bringing the team’s record to 13-10 and 4-2 in the American Athletic Conference.
Sophomore Taylor Sedlacek set the tone in the first inning of the Friday opener, smashing a grand slam to give the Shockers a lead it wouldn’t relinquish, winning 4-1. Sophomore Alex Aguilar gave up only one run in six innings and had a no-hitter until the fourth, acquiring her fourth win of the year.
Sedlacek continued her hot hitting in game two, going 3-for-3 and smacking another first-inning homer, this time for three runs. East Carolina closed the gap to 6-5 in the sixth inning, but freshman Chloe Barber closed out the game in the seventh with her second save of the series.
Wichita State closed out the series, winning 9-1 on Sunday. The Shockers run-ruled the Pirates after a four-run fifth inning, completing its first sweep of the season. Sedlacek went 2-2 with yet another home run. Senior Lauren Howell pitched all five innings and stuck out seven.
The Shockers return home from Friday to Sunday against The University of Texas at San Antonio. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.
Baseball
Baseball swept Gonzaga in Eck Stadium from Friday to Sunday, 10-6, 10-5 and 4-3. The Shockers move to 13-6 this season.
In the first game, the Bulldogs scored the first two runs in the first, but redshirt junior Jordan Rogers responded with a grand slam to center in the fourth to give Wichita State a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Rogers finished the game 4-for-4 with five RBI.
The Shockers continued their hot hitting in game two. Senior Seth Stroh gave Wichita State the lead in the fourth with a three-run shot to right. Freshmen Tyler Dobbs and Brady Hamilton delivered four scoreless runs on the mound to close the game.
In the closest game of the series, Wichita State came from behind to stun Gonzaga on Sunday. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead in the fourth, and the Shockers did not respond until the sixth with a two-run inning.
After another run in the seventh, Wichita State took the lead on a double from Rogers in the eighth. Sophomore Caleb Anderson closed out the final two innings on the mound.
Men’s tennis
Wichita State went on the road to play in North Carolina last week, losing four consecutive games from Tuesday, March 12, to Saturday, March 16. The Shockers are now 3-14 this season, riding a six-game losing streak.
On Tuesday, Wichita State was swept by the University of North Carolina Wilmington, 4-0, and lost to the University of New Mexico on the following day by the same score.
The Shockers were bested by William & Mary on Thursday, 4-1, before losing their closest matchup to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Saturday, 4-3.
The game against Charlotte came down to court one, where after a hard-fought match, sophomore Alejandro Jacome lost in the third set, 7-5.
Men’s tennis continues their season in Houston, Texas on Friday, March 22, against Rice.
Women’s tennis
Wichita State played on Saturday and Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina, beating the University of Denver, 4-1, but losing to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in a 4-0 sweep.
After the weekend, Wichita State improved its record to 10-5 on the season. The Charlotte loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Shockers.
A shorthanded Denver team didn’t field a player on the third doubles court or sixth singles court on Saturday. Redshirt senior Natsumi Kurahashi was defeated on court one in singles, but Wichita State won in singles and on courts two and four to secure the victory.
On Sunday, Charlotte knocked off Wichita State in a deceptively close sweep, with the Shockers winning on court one in doubles and competing hard in nearly every game. Freshman Xin Tong Wang was defeated on the second court, snapping a nine-match winning streak.
Wichita State travels to Memphis, Tennessee, to take on the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Saturday, March 30, and Memphis on Sunday, March 31.
