CEDAR FALLS, Iowa- The Wichita State softball team moved to 10-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play and 24-24 overall behind a dominating pitching performance by senior Margo Pruis.
Pruis, who improved to 15-11, led the way for WSU by striking out 11 on the way to recording her second complete game shutout of the season. Her 11 strikeouts matched a season-high. Pruis didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, when a perfectly placed bunt by Mandy Kumamoto broke up the no-hitter.
The Shockers threatened early and often at Panther Field, starting in the first inning when UNI starter Jen Larsen walked Katie McGeeney and Brooke Usher to start the game. Larsen escaped the inning unscathed on an unusual double-play. She would find herself in trouble again just an inning later.
Catcher Kara L'Huillier got the ball rolling with WSU's first hit of the game, a line drive double off of the wall. She would score two batters later when McGeeney hit a line drive that bounced off of the Whitney Link's glove at third and into foul territory.
The 1-0 lead would be all that Pruis needed working out of any jam that came her way. With a runner on second and just one out in the bottom of the second, Pruis came through with back-to-back strikeouts of Whitney Link and Mandy Kumamoto to end the threat.
The Shocker bats came alive in the third. Britnee Barnett sparked the rally with a single to lead-off the inning. Cynthia Verhulst took advantage of the opportunity to swing the bat, as she was intentionally walked three times in the game, and doubled to deep right-center. With two outs, Lisa Jones hit her fifth homerun of the season, giving WSU a 4-0 lead.
WSU tacked on another run in the fifth when freshman Elissa Zeches hit a sharp line-drive just inside the first base bag that scored L'Huillier, who doubled earlier in the inning. In all, six of the Shockers' 10 hits went for extra bases as five different players doubled.
Jones singled to lead off the seventh, as WSU went on to tack on two more runs for the final margin, 7-0. The senior led WSU going 3-for-4, including a homerun and a double, and finished with three RBI.
Field conditions forced the teams to play just one game on Saturday. WSU and UNI will instead play two on Sunday, with the first game starting at noon. Pruis will be in the circle for game one, and Ashly Bright will start game two for the Shockers.
