LONG BEACH, Calif. – Wichita State scored 11 runs in the first three innings and cruised from there, salvaging the series finale against Long Beach State with an 11-6 win on Sunday afternoon at Blair Field.
The victory was the first for interim head coach Loren Hibbs, who previously won 819 games as head coach at Charlotte.
The Shockers (1-2) did all their damage early, striking for two runs in the first, one in the second and eight in the third. Garrett Pennington got the scoring started with his first home run as a Shocker, a booming two-run shot to the gap in left center for a 2-0 advantage. Brock Rodden stretched the lead to 3-0 in the second with a two-out RBI single through the right side, chasing Long Beach State starter Myles Patton after just 1.2 innings.
The Dirtbags (2-1) quickly erased the deficit with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second. A run-scoring fielder's choice and back-to-back two-out RBI singles drew Long Beach State level at 3-3.
In the third, 10 of the first 11 Shockers reached base safely to blow the game open. Mauricio Millan opened the scoring barrage with a two-run home run down the left field line, his first as a Shocker. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Sawyre Thornhill, who ripped an RBI single through the right side that made it 6-3. Brock Rodden followed by coaxing a bases-loaded walk, and Long Beach State was then called for a balk attempting a hidden ball trick that ballooned the lead to 8-3. A bloop double from Garrett Pennington kept the merry-go-round moving, and Payton Tolle capped the inning with a two-run single for an 11-3 lead.
Wichita State starter Grant Adler (1-0) made it stand up with six solid innings in his WSU debut, allowing five runs while striking out five and walking two. Freshman Nate Snead turned in two scoreless innings in his first appearance, and Caden Favors closed it out by recording the game's final three outs.
Jake Rons (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Long Beach State, allowing six runs while recording just a single out.
Wichita State heads to St. George, Utah for a four-game series against Utah Tech beginning on Thursday. First pitch against the Trailblazers is scheduled for 7:00 PM CT.