Game Three

The Wichita State (33-28, 13-13) softball team ended its season today following an 8-4 loss to No. 4 seed Drake (27-24, 13-10) at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after a two-run homer by Jaci Faidley. Faidley provided all the offense DU would need, adding a three-run homer in the fourth inning to make the score 6-0.

WSU would not go without a fight however, as the team rallied for four runs as the Shockers sent everyone to the plate. Jamie Stanclift led off the inning with a single. Lindsie Mitts, Katie McGeeney, Kara L'Huillier, Cynthia Verhulst and Heather Gerritse all collected hits in the inning. McGeeney, L'Huillier and Gerritse each had an RBI.

Trailing 6-4, the Shockers would get no closer as DU tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth as Faidley hit a two-run inside-the-park homer for the final margin.

In two games on Thursday, Verhulst and Gerritse went 3-for-7. Verhulst led the team with 2RBI, both in the first game against Indiana State. In the circle freshman Brianna Smet struck out eight in two games, including a career-high six strikeouts against INS. Fellow freshman Jamie Hull picked up the win in relief earlier in the day and took the loss against DU to fall to 1-3 on the season.

Game One

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Wichita State softball team (33-27, 13-13) opened its sixth-straight State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship with a 5-4 come-back win against No. 8-seed Indiana State Thursday afternoon after scoring five runs in the final two innings. WSU now plays No. 4 seed Drake at approximately 4:30 p.m., today at Charlotte West Stadium-Rochman Field.

WSU fell behind early, as Sycamore lead-off hitter Meredith Simpson opened the game with a home run to left-center off of Shocker starter Brianna Smet. Smet would settle down and went on to retire the next seven batters before allowing two runs in the third inning and one in the fourth.

Down 4-0 the Shockers began to chip away at the deficit with some help from the INS defense, starting in the bottom of the fifth. Jamie Stanclift started the comeback as she reached on an error by first baseman Kelsey Anderson and moved to second following a single by Lindsie Mitts.

With one out, Kiersten Dixon laid down a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position for Katie McGeeney. McGeeney reached base on the second Sycamore error of the inning, this time by third baseman Christina Meyers, allowing both Stanclift and Mitts to score and cutting the INS lead in half, 4-2.

After Smet put down the Sycamores in order in the top of the sixth, WSU went back to chipping away at the deficit. Verhulst led off the inning with a single to center and was replaced on the basepaths by Smet. Smet advanced to third on a single by Heather Gerritse and scored as Jamie Hull reached base via an error on the shortstop.

Jamie Hull came in to pitch the seventh and retired the side in order, setting the Shockers up for a dramatic finish in the bottom of the inning. Dixon led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Meagan McCurdy. McGeeney reached on the fifth Sycamore error of the game and moved to second on the play with Dixon moving to third. Kara L'Huillier followed with a walk and Britnee Barnett reached on a fielder's choice while Dixon was forced out at home.

Verhulst quickly ended the drama as she singled to right on the first pitch to score McGeeney and L'Huillier for a 5-4 win. Hull picked up her first collegiate win and moved to 1-2 on the season while fellow freshman and starter Smet struck out a career-high six. Gerritse and Verhulst each had multiple hit games to lead the way offensively for WSU.

Every pitch of WSU's appearance in this year's MVC Tournament will be broadcast live on KGSO 1410 AM, and simulcast on www.kgso.com. The Shocker softball pregame show begins at 4:20 p.m., Thursday afternoon for game two of the Shockers' tournament. Live stats will be available at the MVC Championship Central page on www.mvcsports.com while a live video package is available to purchase through the MVC website, a tournament pass for $9.95, visit www.mvcsports.com for more information.