PEORIA, Ill.- Heather Gerritse hit a two-out single in the top of the eighth inning to help the Shockers beat Bradley, 5-3, in extra innings at Laura Bradley Field Saturday evening.

The two-out, two-RBI single allowed the Shockers to sweep the Braves in the doubleheader Saturday. The game was tied at 3-3 heading into the inning before Danika Miller and Kiersten Dixon put themselves in scoring position. Miller scored the go-ahead run as Gerritse singled out to left-field to boost the Shockers to a victory.

The extra inning win over the Braves is the second extended game in three days as the Shockers' beat Missouri State in eight innings on Thurs., May 5th. With the win, the Shockers have extended their win-streak out to four games, which ties a season high.

Brianna Smet went a complete 8.0 innings to pick up the win for the Shockers. She held the Braves to three runs for the game, while picking up four strikeouts.

Wichita State finished the game with ten hits as seven different Shockers picked up at least one hit in the game. Dixon, Gerritse, and Erin Carney all picked up two hits in the game.

With the win, Wichita State improves to 20-35 on the season and 12-13 in MVC play. Bradley falls to 12-40 on the year and 5-19 in Valley play.

Bradley reached the scoreboard first scoring one run on two hits in the top of the first inning. Julie Sherman scored on a Brittany Fairbairn bloop-single out to center field.

Wichita State evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the second inning by scoring one run on two hits and one error. Back-to-back singles from Brittney Osborn and Erin Carney got things started for the Shockers. Torrie Brown hit into a fielder's choice that got Carney out at second. The Braves tried to turn a double-play and get Brown out at second, but instead threw the ball away. Osborn was able to advance home on the play and even the score at 1-1.

BU reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning by scoring a run on one hit. Jackie Roth walked to start things off and then proceeded to steal both second and third. She advanced home on a fielder's choice from Denise Jilka to give the Braves a 2-1 lead over Wichita State.

A two-out single from Kate Singler scored Fairbairn to give Bradley a 3-1 lead over the Shockers in the fifth inning.

The Shockers scored two runs on three hits and one error to even the score at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning. With one out in the inning, Osborn reached first base by an error on the pitcher. Carney moved her over to third with a double out to center-field. Freshman Torrie Brown picked up her first RBI of the season by scoring Osborn with a single to right-field. Kiersten Dixon picked up the second RBI of the inning with a single out to left-field that scored Brown.

Bradley put runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth inning, but WSU as able to get out of the inning without any harm done. Roth tried going from second to home on a single from Lynch-Crumrine, but the Shockers caught her at the plate from Danika Miller to Milnark to Heather Gerritse.

Gerritse picked up her second hit of the game and collected two RBI as she hit a two-out single in the top of the eighth inning to give the Shockers a 5-3 lead. Both Dixon and Miller scored on the play.

The two teams will return to action on Sunday to wrap up the three-game series at 12:00 p.m.

 

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Shockers Beat Braves, 4-2, in Game One of DH

PEORIA, Ill.- Rachel Milnark hit a two-out single in the top of the sixth inning to pick up two RBI and lead Wichita State to a 4-2 win over Bradley in the first game of the doubleheader at Laura Bradley Field in Peoria, Ill. Saturday afternoon.

Milnark's two-out single broke a 2-2 tied in the top of the sixth inning when Torrie Brown and Hayley Temple scored on the play. Milnark went 2-for-3 on the day with the two RBI.

Jamie Hull also picked up two hits in the game as she was 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI. Temple and Erin Carney each picked up one hit and scored one run in the game.

Sloan Anderson improved to 6-7 on the season with the win in the circle for the Shockers. She went 3.0 innings and held the Braves scoreless on just one hit. She also recorded two strikeouts.

Maddie Lynch-Crumrine fell to 4-8 on the season as she picked up the loss in the circle. She went 7.0 innings and gave up four runs on six hits. She also recorded five strikeouts.

With the win, Wichita State improves to 19-35 on the season and 11-13 in Missouri Valley Conference action. Bradley falls to 12-39 on the year and 5-18 in MVC play.

Lynch-Crumrine retired the first seven batters of the game before Erin Carney picked up the Shockers' first hit in the top of the third inning. She singled out to left-center to start the action for WSU. Kiersten Dixon was hit by a pitch before Jamie Hull drove in the first run of the game. Hull singled out to right-center to score Carney. Instead of throwing home, Bradley hit the cut-off and Hull put herself in a rundown which allowed Dixon to score the second run of the inning. Hull was able to get safely back to first base. Wichita State took a 2-0 lead at the end of the half inning.

Bradley got one run back in the bottom of the inning and made it 2-1 game. Lynch-Crumrine led off the inning by drawing a walk. She moved into scoring position before Brianne Joseph hit a single out to left-field to bring her home.

Hayley Temple picked up a single in the top of the fourth inning and found herself in scoring position when Rachel Milnark came up to the plate. Milnark did her job and hit a single out to center field, but Brittany Fairbairn made a good play on the ball and threw Temple out at home to prevent the Shockers from scoring.

BU evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning by scoring one run on one hit. Runners were on second and third when Maria Cole was able to advance home on a wild pitch by Armagost.

Wichita State went ahead, 4-2, in the top of sixth inning by scoring two runs on one hit and two errors. The Shockers loaded the bases on back-to-back errors and a walk. With no outs in the inning, the Braves turned a double play by getting Hull out a home and Shook at first. Milnark picked up the two RBI in the inning with a single down the left-field line. Torrie Brown and Temple scored on the hit to make it a 4-2 game in favor of the Shocks.

Anderson struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning to pick up the win for the Shockers.

The two teams return to action on Sunday to wrap up the three-game set at 12:00 p.m.

-WICHITA STATE-