Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. -- Payton Tolle fired a complete game shutout and the Wichita State offense combined for 29 hits as the Shockers swept a doubleheader against #7-ranked East Carolina, 7-0 and 8-3 on Saturday afternoon at Eck Stadium.
The two wins secure Wichita State's first series victory against a top-10 team since the 2014 season, when WSU claimed two of three games against Cal State Fullerton.
The Shockers (23-15, 7-4) move into a three-way tie for first atop the American Athletic Conference standings with East Carolina (29-10, 7-4) and Houston (22-17, 7-4).
GAME ONE
Tolle was masterful in picking up his team-best seventh victory of the season, holding the Pirates to just two hits while striking out 10. The southpaw carried a no-hitter through 5.1 innings, surrendering just one baserunner via an error. East Carolina got both hits against Tolle in the sixth inning, but he pitched out of the jam with a strikeout and then retired the final nine Pirates over innings 7-8-9.
It's the third start of the season for Tolle with double-digit strikeouts, and his second without a walk.
The Wichita State offense chased East Carolina starter Trey Yesavage after just 1.2 innings, banging out six hits against the Pirates ace to grab the early lead. Jaden Gustafson opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second, and later in the inning Brock Rodden rifled an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
Gustafson drove home his second run in the third inning by beating out an infield single, extending the Shocker edge to 3-0.
Mauricio Millan came through with perhaps the game's biggest hit in the fourth, ripping a two-run single through the middle for a 5-0 cushion.
Solo home runs from Chuck Ingram and Garrett Pennington in the sixth put the Shockers up 7-0, giving Tolle plenty of run support into the late innings.
GAME TWO
East Carolina took their only lead of the day in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single from Luke Nowak, but it proved to be short-lived. Ingram cranked a leadoff home run to start the home half of the inning, immediately leveling the score at 1-1.
Wichita State then took control in the second inning with a trio of runs. David Herring launched another leadoff solo shot onto the berm in right field to put WSU in front 2-1, a lead that Ingram and Rodden extended with two-out, run-scoring singles.
The Pirates scratched back into the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth, but after pulling within 4-3 were quickly rebuffed via a four-spot in the bottom of the sixth. Sawyre Thornhill capped a 4-for-4 game with an RBI double, coming in to score one batter later on another RBI single from Ingram that made it 6-3. Tolle punctuated the frame with a two-run single to left, restoring the Wichita State cushion to 8-3.
Jace Miner took it the rest of the way out of the Wichita State bullpen to earn his second save, holding the Pirates scoreless over 3.1 innings while allowing just two hits. He made a winner out of Clark Candiotti (6-2), who won his fifth consecutive start and sixth straight decision. Candiotti struck out six over 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs.
Carter Spivey (4-2) took the loss for East Carolina, allowing 11 hits and six runs over 5.0 innings of work.
Ingram recorded three hits in both games of the doubleheader to lead the Shocker offense, while Rodden and Kyte McDonald chipped in two hits apiece in both games.
Wichita State will go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Eck Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 pm.