EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Wichita State (24-13, 6-3) posted 20 hits on the afternoon but could only manage a doubleheader split after Evansville (15-9, 3-2) rallied in the bottom of the seventh in game one to win 5-4. WSU won the second game of the day 4-1 at Cooper Stadium.

The teams will wrap up the series at noon tomorrow at Cooper Stadium.

Game One: Evansville 5, Shockers 4
Wichita State's consecutive scoreless inning streak nearly came to an end before getting out of the first inning after Bright worked herself into a bases-loaded jam after recording the first two outs before striking out Amanda Ockomon on a 3-2 pitch to leave the bases stranded full of Aces with no damage done.

WSU broke up Jacki Bradley's no-hit bid in the fifth when Lauren Coleman reached on a blooping single down the right line, a hit that advanced Jamie Hull to third after she reached earlier in the inning on a one-out walk. Kiersten Dixon's groundout ended WSU's best threat of the day to that point however, sending the game to the bottom of the fifth scoreless.

The Shockers' scoreless inning streak ended at 32.2 innings after Brittany Herald ripped a two-out double down the left line that scored Kristen Shirk after she reached on a two-out single through the left side. The run gave Evansville a 1-0 lead, the first time the Shockers have trailed in a game since March 16.

WSU has its opportunity in the sixth when Katie McGeeney led the inning off with a double to left and advanced to third on the league-leading 11th sacrifice by Kara L'Huillier, putting a runner on third with one out and two of the Shockers' best hitters coming to the plate in Britnee Barnett and Cynthia Verhulst. Neither hitter could deliver however, as Bradley continued to confuse the WSU lineup with offspeed pitches and solid movement, keeping WSU batters off balance all afternoon.

The Shockers' returned the favor in the top of the seventh, batting around for a four-run seventh, the first big inning by the Shocker hitters since scoring five runs on Bradley in the sixth inning on March 15. WSU posted five hits in the inning with the big hit coming on a two-RBI single through the left side by Kara L'Huillier to give WSU a 4-1 lead.

Evansville quickly answered with a two-run home run by leadoff hitter Krista Price to cut the deficit to 4-3 with just one out. After Brittany Herald was intentionally walked Bradley then singled to right center, driving in Herald and Kristen Shirk to give the Aces the 5-4 win.

Ashly Bright (14-9) took the loss for the Shockers, giving up five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six. Jennifer McKee (7-0) picked up the win for the Aces, giving up no hits in 0.2 innings of relief work.


Game Two: Shockers 4, Evansville 1
Wichita State pounded out 13 hits in game two to pick up the 4-1 win.

WSU jumped on the board first in game two after Katie McGeeney's one-out double down the right line brought home Kiersten Dixon from first after the freshman got aboard with a single just a batter before, giving the Shockers a 1-0 lead.

The Aces answered yet again after a Herald single up the middle scored Price after she led the inning off with a walk, tying the game at 1-1.

Jamie Hull responded in the fourth with a solo home run, her fifth of the season, to regain the lead 2-1 for the Shockers. A leadoff single by Kiersten Dixon in the fifth chased Evansville starter Jacki Bradley, bringing in game one winner Jennifer McKee to the circle for the Aces.

WSU added two more runs in the top of the fifth after a ground ball by Kara L'Huillier scored Lindsie Mitts and a bunt single by Britnee Barnett brought home Katie McGeeney to give the Shockers a 4-1 edge.

Shocker starter Brianna Smet (9-2) ended her afternoon after issuing a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the sixth. Bright came in and promptly gave up a single to Bradley before a passed ball moved the runners into scoring position, but the senior got Laura Rather to groundout to end the inning and the threat.

Wichita State took a 4-1 lead to the bottom of the seventh once again, and once again the Aces made it interesting. Price blooped a one-out single to right-center before Shirkl reached on a walk, bringing Herald back to the plate again with a chance to tie it with a swing of the bat. This time Bright answered the challenge, getting Herald to look at strike three for the second out of the inning before Jennifer Stahlhut ended the game on a fly out.

Bright worked two innings of relief to pick up her sixth save of the season, a mark that leads the nation. Smet pitched 5.0 innings, giving up just three hits and one run, throwing an efficient 67 pitches while walking four and striking out two.

Bradley took the loss for the Aces, giving up three runs on nine hits.