By: Wichita State
WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State fought back to win game two of Friday afternoons doubleheader against Evansville, 4-3, after dropping game one to the Purple Aces, 2-0.
Game One: Evansville 2, Wichita State 0
The story of game one was Evansville starting pitcher Sarah Patterson. The senior from Lansing, Mich. threw a perfect game setting down the Shockers in order in all seven innings.
Wichita State starter Katie Armagost matched Patterson opening the game with six scoreless innings of her own. But the Shocker's fate turned in the top of the seventh inning when Evansville's Kirsten O'Conner hit a pinch-hit two-run home run to left field to break the scoreless tie.
O'Conner's go-ahead home run was only the second hit of the game allowed by Armagost who finished the game with three strikeouts and three walks in her 12th complete game of the season.
Patterson finished with three strikeouts and had a 15-3 flyout to groundout ratio.
Game Two: Wichita State 4, Evansville 3
The Purple Aces carried their seventh-inning momentum from game one into the day's second game taking an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield from O'Conner scoring Tamara Robey from third base.
Brittany Fortner ended the any thoughts of another perfect game with a leadoff double in the bottom of the first. Fortner advanced to third on the play on a throwing error from the Evansville second baseman. Three pitches later the freshman scored from third to tie the game, 1-1, on a wild pitch from Evansville starter Sarah Baldwin.
In the third Ali Vandever singled to right field to plate to score Melanie Jaegers and give the Shockers their first lead of the day, 2-1.
The Shockers extended the lead to 3-1 on Paige Mason's RBI single in the fourth and to 4-1 on Laura Vickers sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
Down to their final three outs Evansville had one last comeback in the top of the seventh. Brianna Villanueva singled home a run with one out and Robey drew a bases loaded walk to narrow the Shocker lead to 4-3 with one out and the bases loaded. Armagost who entered in relief of starter Sloan Anderson got some payback inducing a pair of groundouts to Vandever at shortstop to pick up the save and earn the Shockers a split of the doubleheader.
Anderson picked up her tenth win of the season allowing three earned runs and six hits in 6.1 innings.
The three-game series concludes Saturday at noon at Wilkins Stadium.
-WICHITA STATE-
