Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- Despite a four hour pre-game delay and an hour-plus in-game delay, Wichita State (38-14 , 16-5 MVC) and Evansville (14-38, 4-17 MVC) were able to complete seven innings, as the Shockers came away with a 16-3 victory.

Due to wet weather conditions, Sunday's game was delayed four hours and pushed back to a 5 p.m., start time. The nature of the game was imperative regarding the conference race, leaving Wichita State players, coaches and fans waiting for a break in the sky in which to start the game.

Evansville starter Wade Kapteyn wouldn't make it out of the first inning as the Shockers started with four singles and two walks off the sophomore right-hander. Andy Dirks rounded the bags with a single that splashed into shallow left field, a stolen base and a throwing error by catcher Andrew Gher. Dirks scored on a Ryan Jones single, and the bases were loaded on a hit ripped through the right side by Conor Gillaspie and a walk to Clinton McKeever. Dusty Coleman picked up two RBI with a single placed over the short stop's head.

Josh Workman worked a 3-1 count for a walk and a sacrifice fly from Tyler Weber brought in McKeever. Tyler Hill reached on a fielder's choice, forcing out Workman at second, but moving Coleman to third. Bret Bacue, taking over left field duties, bounced a double sharply past the first baseman, driving in two runs. Dirks' second at bat of the inning looked eerily similar to his first with a single, stolen base and error by the UE catcher. Jones hit a high fly to right and three fielders gave chase, but the ball was lost in the gray sky and dropped in for an RBI double. Gillaspie capped the first with a single in the same spot as his first, this time driving in Jones and giving Wichita State a 9-0 lead.

The shutout didn't last long as Shawn Kuester doubled to right field and was plated by a Greg Wallace single up the middle in the bottom half of the frame. Andy Smith homered off of Anthony Capra's first pitch in the second, cutting the score to 9-2. Capra slipped off the mound, issuing a fourth ball to Jared Baehl before the rain ensued and the field was tarped.

After the one hour and 39 minute delay, Capra came back out and got three-straight UE hitters.

The rain had completely let up, but the Wichita State offense had not, as the Shockers kept swinging away after the delay. Hill drew a lead off walk in the top of the third and advanced to second on a high pick off move by reliever Mark Obenchain. Jones drove in the run with a shot up the middle.

After McKeever came around with a double, wild pitch and error, Bascue blasted the lead open in the fourth with a grand slam to straight away center field. Workman and Hill were on board with walks and Weber on with a hit before the four-run homer, making it 15-2.

One more was added in the fifth with a Gillaspie single and stolen base. The junior scored on a booted ball by Evansville's shortstop.

Peter Tountas greeted reliever Khol Nanney with a homerun to left field in the bottom of the sixth and hit Smith, but after a visit to the mound by pitching coach Brent Kemnitz, the senior righty struck out the side.

Bascue set a new career-high for RBI in a game with six, and also set the season-high mark for the team. Not only was the Shocker offense on fire, the defense was improved from the first two games of the series. WSU was errorless and saw ground balls fielded on the choppy dirt, fly balls caught in the slippery outfield and even snags of hard-hit line drives.

After the long drive home, Wichita State will host Oral Roberts on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Eck Stadium.