DENTON, Texas- Hayley Temple delivered a walk-off double off the left field wall in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Wichita State a 4-3 victory over Sam Houston State Sun. afternoon in Denton, Texas.  The Shockers split their pair of games on the day narrowly losing to tournament host North Texas, 12-9, in a back and forth offensive showcase for both teams. Wichita State completed the rain-shortened tournament that wiped out the entire Saturday slate of games with a 3-1 record and are now within a game of .500.

Like their matchup on Fri. night when WSU had to come back from a 4-0 deficit against the same Sam Houston State team in the sixth inning, the Shockers came from behind once again in the late innings to capture victory. Wichita State got on the scoreboard first when Laura Vickers drilled a RBI single in the first inning to bring in Temple, but the lead was short lived as Sam Houston State came back with three unanswered runs to take a 3-1 advantage into the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning the Shockers loaded the bases and Sammie Shook hit a two-run single with two outs to even the score at 3-3.

Katie Armagost stifled the Sam Houston hitters throughout the day allowing just one earned run and striking out five Bearkats for her second consecutive complete game. Armagost worked around a one-out triple and stranded the go-ahead runner at third in the top of the seventh to set up Temple's game-winning hit that scored Rachel Milnark.

Against North Texas the Shockers bats came to life early and often when Melanie Jaegers hit a 2-run double just past the third base bag to give Wichita State a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After North Texas answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, Freshman Sydney Stuever launched her first career home run as Shocker over the fences in right-center field to give Wichita State the lead right back, 3-2.

More back and forth action would follow as North Texas scored two in the bottom of the third to regain the lead. However, a Brittney Osborn home run to right field drove in two of the Shockers three runs in the fourth inning to push the lead back to Wichita State, 6-4.

The Shockers were undone in the fifth inning giving up eight runs and falling behind 12-6 due to some unlucky bounces and well timed hits by the Mean Green.

A three run sixth by the Shockers cut the North Texas lead in half, but would be as close as they would get.

The Shockers will not play again before making a trip to Tempe, Ariz. to take on defending national champion Arizona State Mar. 1. at 7 p.m. The game with ASU will be a prelude to the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational being hosted by ASU. During the tournament the Shockers will play North Dakota State, Arizona State, Boise State and two games against Howard University.

-WICHITA STATE-