WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State (14-17, 2-0) tied its season best with a third-straight win in a conference-opening doubleheader sweep of Drake (8-17, 0-2) Saturday afternoon at Wilkins Stadium. The Shockers won game one 5-3 before blanking the Bulldogs, 8-0, in a five-inning run rule in the second game of the day.

Cynthia Verhulst led the Shockers with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate on the day, driving in three runs on the afternoon. Margo Pruis and Ashly Bright both picked up victories in the circle, while Britnee Barnett picked up her first save of the season in game one.

The two teams wrap up the three-game set with a game at Noon tomorrow at Wilkins Stadium.

Shockers 8, Drake 0 (5 innings)
The Shockers opened the game by stranding three in the first, but Drake wouldn't be so lucky in the second, as Katie McGeeney ripped a two-out pitch over the centerfield fence to put WSU up 2-0. Lindsie Mitts came around to score as well after slapping a ball up the middle in the previous at bat.

Lisa Jones' second home run of the season, put the Shockers up 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth. The Shockers added two more on four-straight singles by Brooke Usher, Britnee Barnett, Cynthia Verhulst and Stephanie De La Riva. The three-spot fourth gave WSU a 5-0 lead going to the fifth.

WSU ended the game with another three-run inning in the fifth, the game-clinching hit coming off Verhulst's bat, a two-run single to center that ended the contest, 8-0.

Ashly Bright (4-6) picked up a win in her conference pitching debut, giving up just one hit in five innings of work, while walking two and striking out six. Bright retired 14 of the 17 batters she faced.

Drake's Mandy Osborn (4-8) worked the first 3.0 innings to pick up the loss, giving up four earned runs while walking six and striking out just one Shocker hitter.

McGeeney, the Shockers' leadoff hitter ended the game going 1-for-2 with two driven in and two runs scored. Jones, Mitts and Usher each scored two runs for the Shockers.

Shockers 5, Drake 3
Drake got on the board first with a three-run home run by Jenna Wilkin, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead before the Shockers sent their first batter to the plate.

The Shockers responded in the third when Kara L'Huillier led the inning off with a single, and moved to second on a well placed sacrifice by Lisa Jones. L'Huillier got to third when Lindsie Mitts roped a single into left-center that just glanced off Drake shortstop Lindsay Larry's glove, giving the Shockers runners on the corners with one out.

Katie McGeeney drove in the first run of the day for Wichita State with a fielder's choice, after she slapped a ball to the middle infield that Jaci Faidley failed to handle cleanly, and Lindsay Larry found it in time to retire Mitts, but L'Huillier came home on the play to cut the lead to 3-1.

Britnee Barnett's double tied the game at 3-3, after McGeeney and Brooke Usher, who also singled, came around to score.

WSU added another run in the fourth when Erin Peters reached on a one-out single and later came around to score on a wild pitch by Drake starter Cassie Heller (4-9) that just snuck under the glove of catcher Susan Slycord, giving the Shockers their first lead of the day, 4-3.

Barnett took over pitching duties in the fifth, picking up her first save of the season. Starter Margo Pruis worked 4.0 innings, giving up three runs, all of which came in the first, on three hits while walking two and striking out three. With the win Pruis moved to .500 on the season with a 7-7 mark in the circle.

Cynthia Verhulst's team-high sixth home run of the season gave the Shockers a 5-3 lead in the fifth and the Shockers never looked back.

L'Huillier finished the game 3-for-3, while Barnett was 1-for-3 with two driven in. McGeeney's six-game hitting streak was halted, as the junior failed to hit safely in game one.