Box Score

MANHATTAN, Kan.- No. 10 Wichita State (22-5, 3-0) spotted Kansas State (18-7, 1-2) three runs in the first two innings, but overcame the deficit to defeat the Wildcats, 8-3, Tuesday night in Manhattan, Kan.

 

Junior catcher Tyler Weber hit safely in his first two at bats to set a new Wichita State record for consecutive hits in official at bats. The Wichita, Kan. native singled in the top of the third to break the record, added a double in the fifth, and scored WSU's first two runs to keep the Shockers in the game. Weber went 12-12 since his last at bat on Wednesday, almost a week ago. He drew a walk in the sixth and just missed a pitch in the eighth, flying out to left field to end the streak.

 

Weber ended the night, going 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs. Other offensive highlights were Matt Brown's first career multiple homerun game and back-to-back homers in the top of the ninth. Brown went 3-for-5 with two bombs, two RBI and two runs. Brown's homerun in the ninth was followed with a shot over the fence by Conor Gillaspie. The last time WSU hit back-to-back homeruns was in 2004 against UCLA by Joe Muich and Shawn Smarsh. Gillaspie also finished 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. 

 

Weber hit to right field and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the third inning. A Dusty Coleman gapper in right-center moved the runner to third and Derek Schermerhorn hammered a ball over the left fielder for an RBI single.

 

Weber led off the top of the fifth with a double and scored on a single by Coleman. Two more consecutive singles by Danny Jackson and Schermerhorn knotted the game at three.

 

Kansas State struck first in the bottom of the first. With one out, Jordan Cruz fired the ball up the middle for a single and stole second. Drew Biery dropped one in the left-centerfield gap for a standup double that plated a run. Shocker starter Anthony Capra sat down clean-up hitter Byron Wiley on strikes and forced a popup behind the plate for the third out.

 

A double placed down the left field line by KSU's Rob Vaughn gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead in the second inning.

 

Capra sat down Kansas State in order in the third with a ground out and two strikeouts.

 

The Shockers took the lead with a two-run sixth. Gillaspie started the inning with a double and Weber was on board with a walk. With two outs, Coleman reached with a base on balls before Jackson singled to center field, driving in one. A single by Schermerhorn crossed Weber, making it 5-3.

 

Brown added insurance in the seventh with his solo shot to left-centerfield that cleared the trees. The Shockers went up 8-3 in the ninth with the consecutive homeruns by Brown and Gillaspie. This time, Brown lined one over left-center and Gillaspie followed with one to right field.

 

Capra allowed three earned runs on four hits in three innings, while striking out four and walking one in his second start of the season. Jared Simon threw 0.2 innings of relief in the fourth. Senior Noah Booth came in and sat down 10 consecutive KSU hitters over 3.1 innings. The left hander struck out three, walked no one and earned the win, moving to 2-0. Noah Krol allowed one hit over the final two innings, teaming up with Weber for a strikeout-throw out double play to end the bottom of the eighth.

 

The Shockers are on the road this weekend with a three-game conference series at Bradley. The first pitch in Peoria, Ill. on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. The series wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

-Wichita State-