Weather posed challenges for Wichita State softball’s road series against the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Shockers took two games out of three in a series that saw a Saturday doubleheader due to the rain.
Wichita State improved to 7-7-1 in conference play and got above .500 at 19-18-1 on the season. UAB dropped to 6-9 in the AAC.
The Shockers, short on healthy pitching, relied on two complete games during the Saturday doubleheader. Freshman Ryley Nihart started two games over two days, throwing 11 innings and giving up four earned runs.
Game one
The Shockers took an early lead on Friday and never looked back, winning the opener, 7-3.
Junior Taylor Sedlacek delivered homers in the first and third innings, which drove in the Shockers’ first four runs to go up 4-0. Senior Camryn Compton lined a solo shot over the wall later in the third to extend the lead.
In the fourth, graduate student Lauren Lucas hit a double to left field that just cleared the UAB fielders’ glove to plate another run. The Blazers rallied for three runs later in the game, but the Shockers held on to the lead.
Lucas and Compton each had multi-hit games. Nihart got the start in the circle and went five innings, giving up two runs, neither of which was earned.
Game two
Wichita State has given up a few games this year through blown leads. It seemed for a moment like that trend would continue in the opener of a Saturday doubleheader, but the Shockers escaped with the win, 6-5.
Sophomore Chloe Barber went the distance in the circle. She gave up four earned runs, but still lowered her season-long ERA for the first time since February.
Lucas drove in three of WSU’s runs. In the fifth inning, she tripled, scoring a run, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Sedlacek. In the next frame, she cleared the bases with a double and earned two RBIs.
In the first inning, Lucas hit a ground ball that was mishandled by the UAB infield, allowing graduate student Ellee Eck to score from second base.
The Shockers led, 6-3, going into the bottom of the seventh, but UAB rallied. The Blazers registered three hits to cut the lead to one run. With two outs and the winning run at the plate, Barber struck out a UAB pinch hitter to end the game.
Game three
The Shockers’ bats went cold in their attempt to earn a sweep, 4-1, in the doubleheader’s second game.
Nihart retook the circle and went the distance. She walked no UAB batters, keeping Wichita State in the game despite the offensive struggles.
Wichita State took the lead in the second inning but couldn’t score from there. UAB reclaimed the advantage in the bottom of the frame and added two insurance runs in the sixth.
The game had a 15-minute rain delay in the fourth inning.
Wichita State will return to Wilkins Stadium for a three-game series against East Carolina University from Friday, April 11, to Sunday, April 13. The first pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m.
