Box Score

STILLWATER, Okla. - Wichita State won its opening game of the 2008 NCAA Tournament with an 8-5 victory over TCU.

WSU's starter Rob Musgrave (11-1) gave up four solo homeruns as the Horned Frogs tried to chip away at a deficit, but two three-run bombs by the Shockers and a pair of manufactured runs in the eighth topped the Texas Christian attack.

Musgrave was tagged with a total of five earned runs on eight hits, but walked no one and struck out four in a complete game.  TCU's Tyler Lockwood (7-2) was responsible for all eight Shocker runs, as three other pitchers each threw one-third of an inning to finish up the game.

Matt Vern put up the first run of the game with a solo homer in the top of the third.

Wichita State answered with a three-run home run, this first one off the bat of senior center fielder Andy Dirks.  On board for the blast were Tyler Hill with a single and Kevin Hall via a hit-by-pitch.

Matt Carpenter homered in the fourth to bring the Horned Frogs within one and TCU tied it, 3-3, in the top of the fifth with a Vern double and a single dropped into shallow left field by Hunt Woodruff.

The Shockers fired up the bats once more and Clint McKeever delivered the second three-run shot for WSU.  Dirks and Conor Gillaspie had previously singled to the right side of the diamond.

TCU continued to sail the ball out of the park with single home runs by Carpenter in the sixth and Chris Ellington in the ninth, but WSU held off the Horned Frogs and added insurance with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

McKeever beat out an infield single to lead off the frame and motored to third on a Dusty Coleman double.  A sacrifice fly brought McKeever home, but Tyler Weber reached on a fielder's choice that erased Coleman.  Hill and Hall got the job done however, as they each delivered a two-out hit to plate the run.

Wichita State takes on the winner of Oklahoma State and Western Kentucky Saturday at 7 p.m.