Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Wichita State dropped a pair of games at Kansas Tuesday, falling 6-3 in game one and walk-off fashion, 6-5, in extra innings of the nightcap.
Wichita State fell to 10-10 on the season and has lost three straight to the Jayhawks.
Game 1 | Wichita State 3, Kansas 6
CC Wong went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Addison Barnard singled and walked three times. Bailey Urban, Jessica Garcia and Krystin Nelson all had a hit apiece.
Alex Aguilar (3-2) went 4.0 innings in the loss, allowing five runs on six hits. Chloe Barber threw the final 2.0 innings, giving up a run on two hits. Free passes had been an issue coming into the game, but the Shockers didn't allow a single walk in the game.
After Wichita State left the bases loaded to end the top of the first, Kansas wasted little time plating a run. A leadoff single, followed by a hit by pitch led to an RBI double to give the Jayhawks an early 1-0 lead. Aguilar would limit the damage to just one run in the frame, stranding a pair in scoring position.
The Shockers loaded the bases again in the third, but could only score one run on a Lainee Brown fielder's choice.Kansas broke it open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits and a Wichita State error.
Wichita State had one last comeback attempt in the seventh. The Shockers quickly loaded the bases on a Nelson double, Wong single and Barnard walk. Taylor Sedlacek worked another walk to make it 6-2. Urban manufactured another run on an RBI groundout, but that would be it for the Shockers in the seventh. They left the bases loaded for a third time to end the game.
Game 2 | Wichita State 5, Kansas 6 (8)
Kansas scored five runs in the bottom of the first, four of them coming on a grand slam, but didn't score again until the winning run crossed the plate in the bottom of the eighth. The Jayhawks put two on base in the bottom of the eighth via single and a two-base throwing error. The game winning run came in the next at bat when Angela Price hit a grounder to CC Wong at second. Wong fired a throw home to cut down the winning run, but Lainee Brown was called for obstruction at the plate, erasing the second out and giving KU the walk-off win.
Wong had a career high four hits, including a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Addison Barnard had just one hit, but it was a big one. Her three-run homer tied the game in the top of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. Lainee Brown had a pair of hits, while Jessica Garcia and Krystin Nelson both had a hit apiece.
Lauren Howell had a rough go in the start. She recorded only two outs before being pulled in the first inning. She allowed five runs on three hits and two walks. Alison Cooper (2-4) was saddled with the loss even though she was superb in relief. She allowed only two hits through the first 6.0 innings.
Wichita State scored a single run in the third and fifth innings, both off the bat of Wong. The first an RBI single and the second a solo home run to center.
Down to their final three outs entering the top of the seventh, the Shockers put two on base with a Krystin Nelson walk and Wong's fourth hit of the night. Barnard then launced a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center to tie the game at 5-5.
Wichita State was unable to score in the top of the eighth and was set to have the top of the order come to bat in the ninth.
Up Next
Wichita State continues conference play this weekend at East Carolina, March 15-17.