Box Score

WICHITA, Kan.--Starter Tim Kelley did not allow an earned run in eight innings on the mound to give the Shockers room to score in three-consecutive trips to the plate to knock off the Evansville Purple Aces on Friday night, 6-2.

For his fourth start in a row, right-handed Kelley (3-2) threw at least seven innings. The sophomore went eight innings on Friday night and matched his career-high 10 strikeouts while surrendering five hits. Both runs charged to Kelley were unearned en route to his third victory of the season.

While Kelley's counterpart, Evansville starter Wade Kapteyn (2-5), tossed his fifth-consecutive start of at least seven innings or more, he lacked the offensive help that Kelley had in the first game of the series. Kapteyn went all eight for the Purple Aces, giving up six runs?five earned?and striking out just two Shockers.

Junior centerfielder Ryan Jones paced the Shocker offense with a 2-for-4 day and an RBI. Playing in the designated hitter role, freshman Chris O'Brien did his part with a solo shot in the second.

Kelley started and ended the first with strikeouts, but the Purple Aces tried to rally in between. Kelley rolled through the first two outs of the first inning with a pair of strikeouts before third baseman Cody Fick sent a line drive to the gap in right-center. Although Kelley gave up a free pass to follow, he sat the next on strikes to strikeout the side.

Evansville's luck worsened in its next at bat as Kelley needed only six pitches to end the inning, and worsened further when the Shocks reached the plate in the second. O'Brien led off the inning with his fifth homer of the season. Catcher Cody Lassley and left fielder Bret Bascue kept it going with back-to-back singles. Moving runners with flawless execution, two groundballs to the right side scored Lassley and Bascue to give the Shockers an early lead, 3-0.

Jones' second single of the evening knocked in freshman shortstop Tyler Grimes, who reached on an error. Junior first baseman Clint McKeever smacked Kapteyn's offering back up the middle, moving Jones to third. The upper class tandem on the base paths carried out a double steal to score Jones, pushing the Shocks out to a 5-0 lead.

The Shockers threw the Aces a ladder in the top of the fourth. Evansville took advantage of three Shocker miscues to scratch a pair of unearned runs across and close the gap, 5-2. Unfazed, WSU's lineup got one back in its half of the inning using a sophomore Mitch Caster single and a sacrifice fly by Grimes.

Kelley tossed another six-pitch inning in the sixth, helping himself to a longer outing. After Friday night, Kelley has thrown at least six innings in each of his eight starts this season.  

Kapteyn caught on, and each starter kept their respective offenses quiet to keep both teams off the scoreboard for three-straight innings. After sitting the Aces down in order in the eighth, Kelley called it a night for freshman Chance Sossamon. The right-hander struck out the side in the ninth.

The Shockers and the Purple Aces will finish the three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader. Originally scheduled as a game apiece on Saturday and Sunday, looming storm forecasts for Sunday prompted the doubleheader.

Sunday's Easter egg hunt will take place in between games on Saturday.

-Wichita State-