Box Score

WICHITA ? A stiff north wind blew in from left field on a blustery day at Eck Stadium where Wichita State (3-1) got a two-run bomb from Cody Lassley in the seventh to take a 5-3 victory over visiting North Dakota State (0-1).

Reliever Grant Muncrief got the Shockers out of a jam in the eighth, and powered through ninth to get the save in 1.2 innings of work, capping the game with a pick-off at first base. Muncrief struck out four and gave up no hits while walking one in relief. Max Hutson got the win for WSU, his first of the season.

The Shocker offense pieced together nine hits, including two from Taylor Brown, who consecutive hit streak was snapped at nine straight at-bats in his third time up. On the other hand, Clint Mckeever continued his consecutive hit streak to 12 games. Ryan Jones and Lassley were each 2-for-3 with two RBI apiece in the game for WSU.

For NDSU, John Straka took the loss working four innings in middle relief, giving up five runs on seven hits. Shannon Ekermans led the Bison attack going 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Wichita State starter Tim Kelley gave up the game's opening run in the top of the first on an Ekermans RBI single, but settled in over the next five innings. Kelley worked his way out of jams in the third and fourth with key strikeouts to keep the Bison close.

The Shocker offense showed signs of life in the third inning with Brown's first hit of the day, along with walks to Will Baez and Ryan Jones to load the bases with two out. A Lassley liner was knocked down by the wind to end the inning.

In the Shocker fifth, Brown led a successful Shocker rally, opening the inning with his ninth-straight hit. Freshman Andrew Letourneau followed with a single and Kevin Hall moved the runners to second and third with a well-executed sacrifice bunt. One batter later, Baez tied the game with an RBI groundout and Ryan Jones hit a rocket at the Bison third baseman, which slipped into left for an RBI double, and a 2-1 Shocker lead.

Kelley cruised in his final inning of work recording his career-high eighth strikeout of the day to end the sixth inning. He gave up just one run on five hits in six innings.

The Bison answered in the top of the seventh with two runs off of WSU reliever Hutson. Ekermans and Chad Berg had back-to-back RBI singles on line drives up the middle to give NDSU a 3-2 lead.

The lead didn't last long as the Shockers answered in a big way after the seventh-inning stretch. Lassley hit his first career homer right into the strength of the north wind over the left field fence, helping WSU regain its lead, 5-3.

Wichita State will be back at Eck Stadium tomorrow against NDSU with the first pitch taking place at 2 p.m.

--WICHITA STATE--