RUSTON, La. – Freshman Paige Luellen came up big for the Wichita State softball team Saturday, going 4-for-7 at the plate over two games Saturday at the Lady Techster Invitational. The Shockers defeated UT-Martin in the first game of the day, 8-7, before going eight innings to get the win over tournament host, Louisiana Tech, 10-9. The sweep gives Wichita State a 3-0 start to the 2014 season, its best start since 1994 when the Shockers went 8-0. 

Fortner led off the game for the Shockers, reaching on an error by the second basemen. Spring stepped up and hit a single to shortstop, advancing Fortner to third and stealing second shortly after. Liz Broyles hit a RBI single to left center, scoring Fortner before Cacy Williams stepped up, hitting a three-run homer to left center, giving Wichita State a 4-0 advantage in the top of the first.

The Seahawks threatened to score in the bottom of the first, after loading the bases on two singles and a walk but Brooks struck out the next batter to get the Shockers out of the inning.

UT-Martin put some runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning after Taylor Manning hit a two-run single up the middle. The Seahawks looked to score again with runners at first and third but Lauren Smith hit it directly to Brooks and the Shockers ended the inning with a 4-2 lead.

Ali Vandever made a diving stop to get the first out in the bottom of the third but Gabby Glenn hit a single to left field and scored on a Deven Wilson double to left center, cutting the Wichita State lead once again, 4-3.

Sloan Anderson replaced Brooks in the bottom of the fourth, after Brooks made her pitching debut for the Shockers, striking out two and allowed seven hits, three runs and a walk in three innings. The Seahawks got two runners on base before Anderson struck out Renate Meckl, maintaining the Shocker lead for another inning.

UT-Martin tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a RBI single up the middle by Kenzi Tate but a three-run homerun by Smith over center field, gave the Seahawks their first lead of the game, 7-4. Fortner responded for the Shockers in the seventh inning, hitting a home run over center field to cut the Seahawk lead, 5-7. Kelli Spring bunted down the third base line before Broyles walked, putting the tying run on first base. Macklin Hitz grounded out to shortstop, putting the runners in scoring position before Paige Luellen hit a two-run double to left center, tying the game 7-7.

Vandever walked her next at-bat and Melanie Jaegers hit a single up the middle, scoring Luellen and taking back the lead, 8-7. Brianne Bond walked, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh but Fortner popped up to third to finish the inning. The Shockers held the Seahawks in the bottom of the seventh inning and went on to win the first game of the day, 8-7.

Anderson (2-0) picked up the win for Wichita State, pitching four innings, striking out four and allowing seven hits and four runs in the victory. Tate takes the loss for UT-Martin, pitching 0.2 innings, allowing four hits, four runs, and two walks and striking out one.

The Shockers kept the momentum going in the second game against Louisiana Tech. Fortner started things off with a single up the middle and a single by Broyles put runners on first and third. Luellen hit a two-run double to center field, putting Wichita State in the lead, 2-0 in the early going. Luellen advanced to third but was left stranded as Bond hit a pop-up to the pitcher for the final out of the inning.

Kaitlyn Malone made her debut in a Shocker uniform, striking out one in the first inning as the Wichita State defense did the rest of the work, maintaining the lead going into the top of the second. The Lady Techster defense stepped up in the second inning, however, putting out three-straight Shocker batters to keep the score, 2-0 in favor of Wichita State.

Louisiana Tech threatened to score in the bottom of the second inning after Duran was hit by a pitch and Cross singled to right field, putting runners at first and third. Malone struck out two, including the last out to end the inning with the 2-0 lead in tact.

Luellen came up big for the Shockers once again in the third inning, hitting a three-run homerun to extend the Wichita State lead, 5-0. The Shockers held the Lady Techsters scoreless in the bottom of the third, but Louisiana Tech cut into the Wichita State lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run triple by Hill, a RBI by Godwin and a run by Kipp to give the Shockers a 5-4 lead going into the fifth inning.

Wichita State gained the momentum back in the top of the fifth when Spring reached on a fielding error and advanced to second before Broyles was walked and Williams hit a single to right field, loading the bases. Brianne Bond was walked shortly after, which scored Spring and extended the Shocker lead, 6-4.

Anderson and the Shocker defense held the Lady Techsters in the sixth inning but a two-run homerun by Alayna Kipp tied the game, 6-6 in the seventh inning. Vandever threw the last out of the inning taking the game into extra innings.

Paige Mason saw her first appearance at the plate this season and made it count for Wichita State, hitting a two-run homer to right center, putting the Shockers back on top, 8-6 in the eighth inning. Jaegers hit a single to right field before Megan McCracken stepped up to the plate for the first time this season, mirroring Mason with a two-run homerun to left center, extending the lead, 10-6.

Louisiana Tech responded in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run homer to left center, followed by a triple and a wild pitch by Brooks to get the Lady Techsters within one, 10-9. Wichita State made two crucial back-to-back outs, however, and the Shockers won its third-straight game in the Lady Techster Invitational, 10-9.

Anderson (3-0) got the win for Wichita State, pitching 3.2 innings, striking out two and allowing four hits and five runs. Brooks got the save for the Shockers, her first save of her career.

Head coach Kristi Bredbenner was extremely impressed by the attitude and the intensity of the team on Saturday. 

"I thought we showed a lot of fight today and that's a nice thing to see," coach Bredbenner said. "We could easily rely on a couple people to come in and have clutch performances at the plate -- Megan McCracken and Paige Mason, just to name a couple -- but also Paige Luellen and Brittany Fortner stepping up in big ways. I think the big thing for us is that we keep battling when we're down and trying to come back. Our pitchers may not be at their best right now but we're showing that we have the ability offensively to keep them in the game and give them the time they need to get prepared."

Luellen sits with a .600 batting average after the first three games of the tournament and came up big for Wichita State in Saturday's games. Bredbenner was impressed with Luellen's performance and happy that the freshman stepped up in both games to keep up the team's momentum. 

"I think Paige Luellen was in a great zone today and had a couple great at-bats," coach Bredbenner said. "Seeing our youth come in and make an impact right away is a credit to them. I think we're putting the right kids out there and the nice thing is we have a lot more out there that can do it and having that depth and that potential for our future is something that is good for a coaching staff trying to rebuild a team to see in the youth."

After two hard fought games on Saturday, the Shockers will have to rest up in order to be prepared for the final game in the Lady Techster Invitational against the Saint Louis Billikens. 

"Tomorrow's game is a game we're going to play to win," coach Bredbenner saidn. "If we can come out of here 4-0 then it's going to be a great weekend for us."

Wichita State will play in its final game of the Lady Techster Invitational Sun., Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. against Saint Louis. 

-WICHITA STATE-