Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. — Kam Durnin launched another clutch, late-inning homer as Wichita State scored six times in the seventh inning to rally past Charlotte 7-2 on Sunday afternoon at Eck Stadium.
The Shockers (27-26, 13-11) extended their winning streak to a season-high-tying five games and completed their fourth sweep of the season (Utah Tech, Gonzaga, Rice, Charlotte).
The combination of Charlotte starter Chase Carson and reliever Ryan Degges limited Wichita State to just one run through the first six innings that came on a Dayvin Johnson solo homer in the bottom of the third.
The Shockers trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh but opened the inning with a walk and a single to put men at first and second with nobody out. That brought up Durnin, who twice squared around to bunt against Charlotte reliever AJ Wilson but took a strike and fouled off another to bring the count to 0-2.
The freshman followed with a blast to left that cleared the wall for a go-ahead, three-run home run and a 4-2 Wichita State lead.
The Shockers weren't done in the inning, as Mauricio Millan singled, Camden Johnson doubled, and Lane Haworth singled both home to stretch the advantage to 6-2. Jordan Rogers put a bow on the inning with an RBI double, capping off the six-run frame with a 7-2 WSU cushion.
The Wichita State bullpen turned in one of their best performances of the season to close out the victory. The combination of Tyler Dobbs, Caleb Anderson, Nate Adler, Ryan Geraghty and Hunter Holmes totaled 4.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, highlighted by three strikeouts from Adler in the eighth to strand two 49ers in scoring position. Anderson (2-4) picked up the win, flipping two shutout innings.
WSU starter Brady Hamilton pitched well in a no-decision, allowing four hits and two runs over 4.2 innings while striking out a season-high six batters.
Wilson (4-3) took the loss for Charlotte, allowing six hits and five runs while recording just two outs.
Wichita State stole a season-high four bases in the contest, getting one apiece from Haworth, Dayvin Johnson, Camden Johnson and Seth Stroh. The Shockers also drew eight walks, one off their season high.
The Shockers finish the season with a 19-10 record at Eck Stadium. WSU goes on the road to finish the regular season, kicking off a three-game series at Memphis on Thursday night. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:00 pm.