Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Wichita State could not hold a pair of multi-run leads as Memphis salvaged the series finale with an 11-10 win on Saturday afternoon at FedEx Park in the final game of the 2024 regular season.
The Shockers saw their seven-game winning streak snapped and will enter the AAC Tournament as the #4 seed. Wichita State (29-27, 15-12) will take on #5-seeded UAB in the opening game of the tournament on Tuesday, May 21 at 8 a.m. CT.
WSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second and third innings against Memphis starter Caden Robinson. Seth Stroh smashed a two-run homer to right field in the second, then doubled home another run in the third before scoring himself on a Camden Johnson RBI single.
Memphis (23-32, 10-17) pulled back within 4-3 on a Daunte Stuart three-run homer in the bottom of the third and then took a 6-4 lead with three more runs in the fourth. The Shockers handed out five two-out walks in the inning, including two with the bases loaded.
Pierre Seals extended the Tigers lead to 7-4 with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, but Wichita State responded with a five-spot in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. The inning started single, walk, single, walk to load the bases with a run already home on a pinch-hit RBI knock from Jaden Gustafson. That brought up Josh Livingston, who greeted reliever Logan Rushing with a long grand slam to right field that gave the Shockers a 9-7 lead.
The advantage did not last long, however, as Tyler Heckert smacked a game-tying, two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the seventh to level the score at 9-9.
The Tigers took the lead in the eighth on some bad misfortune for the Shockers. With runners at first and second with one out, Riley Davis hit a high fly ball to right field that Stroh lost in the sun, kicking off his shoulder and onto the warning track for an RBI double and a 10-9 edge. Pierce Leavengood added a crucial insurance run with an RBI ground out, extending the margin to 11-9.
Wichita State did not go quietly in the ninth. Camden Johnson cranked a solo home run with one out in the inning and pinch-hitter Brayden Luikart followed with a single to put the tying run aboard. But Seth Cox came out of the Memphis bullpen to get Lane Haworth on a fly out to center and Jordan Rogers on a grounder to short to wrap up his first save of the season.
Rushing (1-3) picked up the win in relief for Memphis, allowing two runs over 2.1 innings. Hunter Holmes (1-3) took the loss for Wichita State, conceding the two eighth inning runs in his lone inning of work. WSU committed a season-high four errors in the contest.
Camden Johnson led the Shockers with three hits while Livingston, Stroh and Dayvin Johnson added two apiece.