HOUSTON -- Wichita State took advantage of nine walks and five hit by pitches to pile up a season-high 18 runs in an 18-7 victory over Rice on Sunday afternoon at Reckling Park.
The game was called after eight innings due to the 10-run rule.
The Shockers (16-34, 8-16) scored in each of their final five innings, including big frames of four, five and seven runs. All nine Shockers scored a run and eight of the nine Shockers recorded a hit and an RBI.
Wichita State trailed 2-0 into the top of the fourth inning and had yet to put a runner on second base against Rice starter Tucker Alch, but exploded for four runs to seize a 4-2 lead. Josh Livingston tied the game with a two-run home run for his 13th long ball of the season, then Mauricio Millan kicked off a career day offensively with a go-ahead, two-run single that marked the end of the day for Alch.
Rice (17-35, 10-14) snatched the lead right back with a trio of two-out runs in the bottom of the inning. Colin Robson slapped an RBI single and Blaine Brown followed by slicing a two-run homer inside the left field foul pole to put the Owls back in front, 5-4.The lead was short lived, however, as Wichita State claimed the advantage for good with a huge seven-run fifth inning. The barrage included four bases-loaded walks, one bases-loaded hit by pitch and a run-scoring wild pitch. The Shockers had just two infield singles in the inning, but used the Rice charity to build an 11-5 lead.
Jordan Rogers smacked a solo homer in the top of the sixth and Zeb Henry lofted a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh for a 13-5 margin. Rice got the two runs back in the bottom of the inning, but Jeremiah Arnett stopped the bleeding by retiring the final three hitters of the inning.
The Shockers put the run rule into play with five runs in the top of the eighth, highlighted by another two-run single from Millan and a run-scoring double from Kam Durnin. Millan finished 2-for-3 with a career-high five RBI, while Livingston drove in three runs and Rogers scored four of his own.
Colton Vercoe (1-1) earned his first career win with 3.1 innings out of the Shocker bullpen, allowing six hits and five runs while striking out two.
Wichita State is back in action on Tuesday night against Oral Roberts. First pitch from Eck Stadium is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.