FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.- Wichita State went 2-0 in the first day of the Clarion Inn Lady'Back Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas and improved to 5-8 on the season.

Wichita State 3, Arkansas 1

Ashly Bright shined in the circle and at the plate for the Shockers, shutting out host Arkansas through six innings and collecting all three RBI, en route to a, 3-1, victory over the Lady'Backs in the night cap.

Bright dominated for the complete seven innings, allowing one earned run on one hit in her first victory in a Shocker uniform. The junior hurled nine strike outs, issued only one walk and retired 13 consecutive batters from the second to sixth inning.

Britnee Barnett slipped one through a hole into right field for either team's first hit of the night in the top of the fourth. In the next at bat, Bright sent one sailing over the left field fence for her first home run as a Shocker, giving Wichita State a 2-0 advantage. Wichita State added insurance in the sixth when Bright drove in the third run of the game, an RBI single poked through the left side.

Kayla Johnson ruined the no-hitter with a solo home run to lead-off the bottom of the seventh, but the Lady'Backs went down in order after that on two strike outs and a ground out to end the game.

Wichita State 7, Colorado State 6

Wichita State fought back from a five run deficit in the first inning to overcome Colorado State (4-9), 8-7, in thrilling extra-inning action earlier in the day.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Erin Peters was placed on second due to the international tie breaker rule and Tiffany Dahlquist was hit by a pitch to put the winning run on. A sacrifice bunt from Kara L'Huillier moved both runners into scoring position and Lindsie Mitts hit a grounder through the wickets of the first baseman, scoring two, to win the game.

The Rams wasted no time, charging to an early 5-0 lead in the top of the first. With two out, back-to-back singles were followed with consecutive walks, bringing one run in and leaving the bases loaded. Shannon Causgrove cleared the bases with one swing, sending the ball over the left field fence for a grand slam.

Wichita State pitcher Cynthia Verhulst homered to center field with a runner on, cutting the lead, 5-2, in the bottom half.

Margo Pruis relieved Verhulst to begin the second and shut out the Rams until the eighth inning. The senior right-hander struck out the side in both the third and sixth and sat down Colorado State in order in the fourth and fifth. The Shocker defense forced the Rams to leave the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings.

WSU added one more in the second when Lisa Jones singled in pinch runner Elissa Zeches. The Shockers continued to chip away at the lead, coming within one, 5-4, in the fifth. Jones led off the inning with a single to shallow left field. Verhulst ripped one up the middle, advancing the runner, and Peters drove Jones in with a single through the left side.

Colorado State's Lauren Cusick air mailed a ball over the first baseman's head, allowing Ashly Bright to reach safely and Stephanie DeLaRiva put one back up the middle, scoring Bright and sending the game into extra innings.

The Rams used a sacrifice bunt and single to bring around the runner placed on second due to the international tie breaker rule.

Pruis (3-2) earned the win, going seven innings, allowing one unearned run on four scattered hits. With nine strike outs, the Morrison, Ill. native moved into first place on the Shocker career strike out list with a total of 636. She passed former teammate Lindsay Craig (631) who played for Wichita State from 2002-05.

Verhulst led the Shockers offensively, going 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run. The junior wasn't quite effective on the mound, allowing five earned runs in one inning on five hits and three walks.

Wichita State is scheduled to take on UMKC at 11:15 a.m. and Missouri at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the second day of the Clarion Inn - Lady'Back Invitational.

 

-Wichita State-