WICHITA, Kan.— After failing to score in each of the first three innings, Wichita State exploded for 14 runs over the next three frames to run-rule Massachusetts 14-2 on Sunday afternoon at Eck Stadium. It was the third consecutive run-rule victory in the series for the Shockers, who bested the Minutemen 12-2 in each of the first two games of the set.
The Shockers (13-10) could not solve UMass starter Jack Steele, who held the Shockers off the board for three innings while the Minutemen (3-12) took a 1-0 lead. But Wichita State broke through in the fourth against the UMass bullpen, scoring three times with two outs. Kyte McDonald started the rally by drawing a walk and stealing two bases, setting the stage for a Seth Stroh RBI double that tied the game at 1-1. Jack Little followed by slicing a run-scoring triple to the gap in right-center, and Chuck Ingram knocked Little home with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.
The Minutemen had a huge opportunity to answer back in the top of the fifth, pulling a run back on an RBI single from Zack Zaetta and then loading the bases with one out. Reliever Jace Miner was able to thwart the rally, coming on to record a strike out and soft line out to escape with the lead still intact at 3-2.
WSU added two runs in the fifth via a McDonald sacrifice fly and UMass throwing error, then blew the game open with a nine-run bottom of the sixth. The first ten batters in the inning all reached, highlighted by a pair of two-run singles from Garrett Pennington and Little, plus RBI knocks from David Herring, McDonald and Ingram. The Minutemen contributed two errors in the inning, helping the Shockers to a 14-2 advantage.
Nate Snead worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to activate the run-rule.
Five different Shockers recorded multiple hits, led by Ingram's three-hit day, and five scored multiple runs. Little paced Wichita State with a career-best three RBI. Brock Rodden added two doubles and a walk as part of a 14-hit attack.
Miner (1-0) picked up the win, retiring all five batters he faced. Starter Grant Adler ended with a no-decision, tagged for two runs, one earned, in 4.1 innings with six strikeouts.
Dylan Terwilliger (1-3) took the loss for UMass, allowing four hits and five runs in 1.2 innings.
The Shockers head downtown on Tuesday for a matchup with Oklahoma at Riverfront Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm.