WICHITA -- The Wichita State softball team (29-24, 11-11) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win in game one, but UNI (19-25, 4-13) salvaged a doubleheader split with the Shockers after taking a 6-1 win in the nightcap of a pair of MVC softball contests on "Strike Out Cancer Day" at Wilkins Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Britnee Barnett went 3-for-6 on the afternoon, while Kiersten Dixon and Jamie Hull each had an RBI. Ashly Bright struck out 14 in game one, while Brianna Smet took the loss in game two for the Shockers.

The two teams wrap up the series tomorrow at noon at Wilkins Stadium. Wichita State's five seniors will be honored prior to the contest.

Game One: Shockers 2, UNI 0
The Shockers got on the board with two unearned runs in the home half of the second, thanks to an error by Panther starter Jen Larsen (6-11) and a sacrifice fly by Kiersten Dixon that scored Jamie Hull to give WSU an early 2-0 lead.

Starter Ashly Bright (18-15) continued her hot streak in the circle, striking out seven her first time through the UNI order, finishing the day with 14 total, registering double-digit strikeouts for her fifth-straight start. She gave up just four hits in the win while walking one in her 27th complete game of the season.

WSU posted a two-out rally in the third, as Cynthia Verhulst was hit by a pitch and turned over baserunning duties to Lindsie Mitts who advanced to third on a double down the right line by Britnee Barnett. Wichita State stranded two in scoring position however, leaving Barnett and Mitts after Jamie Hull popped out to end the threat and the third.

Back-to-back one-out singles by the Panthers in the fourth posed UNI's first scoring threat of the day, as Bright then loaded the bases with two outs after hitting Morgan Paulson with a pitch. The WSU senior escaped harm however, striking out Brittney Balduf on three pitches to end the UNI fourth.

Bright issued a leadoff walk to Stephanie Aguero in the UNI sixth, which started a Panther rally after Larsen reached on a bloop single over Jamie Stanclift's head at first. UNI could not capitalize however, as Bright sat down the last two batters of the inning on strikes, her 11th and 12th of the afternoon to turn back the Panthers' best chance to score to that point.

Larsen gave up five hits and two unearned runs in the loss, walking three and striking out three in the complete-game effort.


Game Two: UNI 6, Shockers 1
UNI used a six-run third to run Shocker starter Brianna Smet (10-6), as the WSU freshman was rattled by an error and six hits in the inning to drop her second-straight decision.

Neither offense could manage much early on in the second contest, as the squads combined for just two hits through the first pair of innings.

UNI led off the third with a pair of singles from the bottom of the order and scored both on an error by Shocker starter Brianna Smet, allowing the Panthers to take a 2-0 lead. Aguero added another run one batter later, driving in Megan Machovec with a single up the middle, extending UNI's lead to 3-0. Rachel Gerking moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Crystal Keiper took advantage, giving UNI a 4-0 lead with a double that landed just in front of Lindsie Mitts down the right line. Morgan Paulson chased Smet from the game one pitch later, driving a ball back through the right side to extend the lead to 6-0 after two and a half innings of play.

Smet finished her short day of work having given up six runs, five of which were earned, on seven hits with one strikeout. Bright pitched well in relief, working 4.2 innings with just two hits and no runs, while walking one and striking out eight.

The Shockers put runners on the corners with two outs in the fourth and capitalized, as a Jamie Hull single brought home Caley Roberts who was running for Verhulst, cutting the UNI lead to 6-1. Verhulst reached after striking out, but got to first safely on a passed ball and went to second on an error by Kelly Papesh on the throw to first.

WSU went down in order in the fifth, as Panther starter Ashley Lepley (8-8) cooled the Shocker offense that had five hits in game one. Lepley worked the complete-game four hitter, giving up just one run with two walks and one strikeout.

The Panthers posted a pair of one-out singles off Bright in the sixth, but the senior settled and escaped any trouble with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.

Kara L'Huillier was robbed of a base hit to lead off the sixth after Machovec made a great diving grab in shallow left to retire the Shocker sophomore, once again turning back a chance for Wichita State to rally.

The Shockers did not pose a threat in the seventh, securing the victory for the Panthers, snapping a three-game losing streak in conference play.

--Wichita State--