TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Kelli Spring hit 3-for-4 including a grand slam in the fifth inning to lead the Wichita State softball team to a 5-1 victory in game two against Indiana State before taking the final game, 10-1 Saturday afternoon at Price Field. Following the weekend sweep, the Shockers sit at 5-1 in the Missouri Valley, the best start since 2005 when Wichita State went 5-1, en route to a 22-4 MVC finish. 

The sweep of the Sycamores also marked the first sweep in two seasons for the Shockers, with the last one being against Evansville in 2012 when Wichita State won, 1-0, 7-1 and 1-0. 

Cacy Williams hit .714 (5-for-7) in the series, including a home run, two RBIs, five walks and eight total bases to go along with a 1.143 slugging percentage and 19 putouts. Paige Luellen went 5-for-9 (.556) on the weekend with two doubles and two RBIs, including a .778 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage. Spring finished the series with a .500 average (5-for-10) with five RBIs, a grand slam and eight total bases. 

Game One: Wichita State 5, Indiana State 1

Defense was strong on both sides for the first four innings but Wichita State loaded the bases in the fifth off of back-to-back singles by Vandever and Johnson and a Williams' walk before Kelli Spring hit a grand slam to give the Shockers a 4-0 advantage. Liz Broyles kept things going for Wichita State with a single to right field before two groundouts and an Indiana State error brought her home to extend the lead, 5-0, heading into the bottom of the inning.

The Sycamores made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, loading the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk before Morgan Allee was hit by a pitch, cutting the Shocker lead, 5-1 but the Wichita State defense stepped up once again, taking the second game from Indiana State.

Jenni Brooks (2-0) picked up the win for the Shockers, allowing just seven hits, one run and four walks, striking out one in seven innings. Ashley Johnson hit 2-for-3, while Broyles hit 1-for-2 and Williams went a perfect 1-for-1 with eight putouts in the victory.

Game Two: Wichita State 10, Indiana State 1 (Five Innings)

The Shockers hit three-straight doubles to start the second game of the doubleheader, giving Wichita State a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Spring drew a walk before Broyles, Luellen and Fortner hit doubles to right center, left field and right center, respectively.

Indiana State cut the Wichita State lead, 3-1, in the bottom of the second on a RBI single to center field but the Shocker defense threw down the runner at second to get out of the inning.

Broyles continued to be a force at the plate for Wichita State, hitting her second consecutive RBI double to left field, giving the Shockers a 4-1 advantage in the third inning.

Melanie Jaegers hit a RBI triple up the middle to extend the Wichita State lead, 5-1 in the fourth, before Ali Vandever flied out to right field, scoring Jaegers and giving the Shockers a 6-1 advantage.

Wichita State added four runs in the fifth, extending the lead 10-1 on singles by Broyles, Jaegers and Vandever and a double by Luellen to sweep the series against Indiana State and gave the Shockers their best start in the Missouri Valley since 2005 when the team started out 5-1 before finishing the season 22-4 in the MVC.

Broyles hit 3-for-4 in the final game, including two doubles, two RBIs and three putouts in the victory. Luellen hit a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Jaegers hit .666 (2-for-3) with a RBI and three putouts.

Katie Malone (9-2) was recorded with the win for the Shockers, allowing just five hits, one run and one walk, while striking out three in five innings.

Wichita State hosts Kansas Wed., March 26 at 6 p.m. before hosting Bradley Sat., March 29-30 with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. Saturday. 

-WICHITA STATE-