WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State got a walk-off solo home run from junior Erin Carney in the bottom of the eighth inning of Saturday's opener with Illinois State to propel the Shockers to a 5-4 victory. Katie Armagost threw all eight innings and struck out a career-high nine batters to pick up the victory in the circle.

Game One: Wichita State 5, Illinois State 4 (8 innings)

The Redbirds took early control of game one with a three run first inning. MVC leading hitter Elizabeth Kay opened scoring with a two-run single through the left side of the infield.  The Shockers committed two errors in the inning allowing the third run of the inning on an error by Ali Vandever at shortstop.

Vandever answered back in the bottom of the first with a two-run single up the middle to score Brittany Fortner and Melanie Jaegers. Brianne Bond then singled to left field scoring Vandever and tying the game, 3-3. All three runs came off of Illinois State starter Taylor Baxter, who was replaced following Bond's RBI single. Baxter was called for five illegal pitches in the inning.

Wichita State took its first lead of the game, 4-3, in the fourth inning on a RBI double to the wall in right field by Hayley Temple scored Carney from second base.

Armagost continued to stymie the Redbirds into the seventh inning and had the visitors down to their final strike when Brittny Drish singled Armagost's 1-2 offering in to centerfield plating the tying run from second base.

In the eighth inning Illinois State had runners on first and third with two outs when Stephanie Gallant laced a ball up the middle that Temple backhanded near second base and flipped to Vandever to keep the game tied.

Needing a single run to claim the victory, Carney stepped to the plate for WSU to lead off the bottom of the inning. The junior from Andale, Kan. was the Shockers leading returning home run hitter from the 2012 season when she hit nine but had yet to break into her home run trot this season. That all changed when Carney sent a line shot sailing over the centerfield fence to end the game.

Carney finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs score and an RBI.

Armagost earned her fifth victory of the season tying her career high for innings pitched and setting a new career high with her nine strikeouts.

Game Two: Illinois State 15, Wichita State 2 (5 innings)

Illinois State exacted a bit of revenge from game one's bitter defeat early and often in game two. The Redbirds scored the games first 11 runs, including seven in the top of the seventh inning.

Kay went 3-for-4 with four RBI to lead five Redbirds with a at least two hits.

Wichita State's Abby Furstenberg hit her first career home run in the bottom of the third inning and Vandever doubled home Jaegers three batters later for the Shockers only runs of the game.

The two teams will face off in the series rubber match Sunday at 12 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium.

-WICHITA STATE-