Box Score

WICHITA, Kan.- Rob Musgrave set a new career-high in strikeouts, but Wichita State (42-16) could only muster four hits against Cal State Fullerton (31-18), falling 3-1 to the Titans Saturday afternoon. CSF secured the series win, defeating the Shockers for the second day in a row.

 

Musgrave struck out the side in order in the top of the second inning, but CSF starter Jeff Kaplan matched him in the bottom half of the frame.

 

Musgrave had one off inning, a three-run fourth, that gave the Titans a 3-0 advantage. Joe Scott led off with a double just inside the left field foul line and Nick Mahin followed with a homerun, his eighth of the season, over left field. John Curtis doubled in the right-center field gap and came home when Khris Davis lined one to left field for a single. The junior lefty regained control to get Matt Wallach on strikes and fielded a sacrifice bunt by Evan McArthur to get two outs. Musgrave walked his only batter, Chris Jones, before striking out Billy Pinkerton to tie his career record with nine strikeouts.

 

Cal State Fullerton got a runner to third after a bunt single in the fifth, but couldn't cross the run as a groundout and fly ball ended the inning.

 

Musgrave picked up four more strikeouts, two in each the sixth and seventh, setting a new career high of 13, before getting relieved by senior Andy Womack.

 

Andy Dirks walked to lead off the game for Wichita State but was doubled off with a ground ball from Derek Schermerhorn. Damon Sublett also drew a walk in the first, but Matt Brown lined out to right field to end the inning.

 

The Shockers wouldn't manage another base runner until the sixth inning, as Kaplan sat down 13 consecutive hitters after the walk to Sublett.

 

Tyler Weber put Wichita State on the board with a lead-off homerun to left field to start the WSU half of the sixth. Dirks walked again and this time Schermerhorn followed with a single in the left-center field gap, leaving runners at the corners. With one out, however, the Shockers couldn't catch a break, as Sublett hit a hard line drive to the left side. Shortstop Scott came up with the catch and caught Schermerhorn returning to first for an inning-ending double play.

 

Wichita State threatened again in the seventh, advancing runners to second and third. Brown reached on a single through the right side. Danny Jackson hit a one-out line drive back up the middle for a single in a pinch-hit appearance. Brown and Ryan Jones, pinch running for Jackson, used a double steal to move into scoring position. Bret Bascue struck out and Weber's hit took an unlucky bounce right to the third baseman who easily got the catcher at first.

 

Womack allowed two hits in 1.1 innings of work and Noah Krol threw a perfect ninth. The Shockers went down quietly in both the eight and ninth, as reliever Bryan Harris sat down every batter he faced.

 

Wichita State and Cal State Fullerton will meet in the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

-Wichita State-