WICHITA, Kan. – Freshman Ashley Johnson went 5-for-7 on the day as the Wichita State softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Shocker Softball Classic. The Shockers dropped game one, 11-5, to the San Diego State Aztecs before defeating the UMKC Kangaroos, 12-4, in five innings.

Game One: San Diego State 11, Wichita State 5

Jaegers home run to left field in the bottom of the second to start things off for the Shockers.

Cable hit a three RBI double to left center in the top of the third to give the Aztecs a 3-1 lead.

Aztecs scored in top of the fifth; Liz Broyles hit a single to the shortstop to score Spring and cut the Aztec lead 3-4 in the fifth before Luellen hit a RBI double to left field to score Mason and tie the game up 4-4.

Sloan Anderson relieved Malone of her duties in the sixth inning after pitching five innings and allowing six hits, four runs and striking out three.

Ruiz hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to regain the lead for San Diego State, 8-4 before Jackson stepped up and hit a two-run homer to center field to extend the lead, 10-4.

McCracken hit a double down the left field line, advancing to third on a groundout to second by Mason before scoring on a flyout by Broyles to cut the lead 5-11, but it was not enough as the Shockers dropped the home opener to the Aztecs.

Anderson took the loss for Wichita State after allowing four hits and seven runs in 1.2 innings. Luellen went 3-for-4 at the plate including two RBIs for the Shockers, while Ali Vandever went 2-for-3 in the loss.

Game Two: Wichita State 12, UMKC 4

 

UMKC scored first on a wild pitch by Malone in the first inning but Wichita State responded in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases before Mason hit a single to left field, scoring Williams to tie the game 1-1. Fortner hit a ground out to second base, scoring Spring to give the Shockers a 2-1 advantage.

The Roos added another run in the top of the second on a RBI double to left field to tie the game, 2-2.

The Shockers loaded the bases in the bottom of the second before Mason hit a two RBI single to right field to regain the lead, 4-2.

Wichita State added four more runs in the bottom of the third, which started with a home run by Fortner to center field to extend the lead 5-2. The inning was capped with a RBI double to left field by Broyles to close out the inning with an 8-2 advantage.

Ali Vandever hit a double down the left field line to put runners in scoring position for the Shockers before Ashley Johnson hit a RBI single to right center, giving Wichita State a 9-2 lead. Williams hit a single deep in right center to score two runners and the Shockers came out of the inning with an 11-2 lead over the Roos.

UMKC put two runs on the board in the fifth inning on a home run to center field to cut the Wichita State lead, 11-4, but Johnson hit a RBI single to left field in the bottom of the inning to give the Shockers a 12-4 victory over the Roos.

Katie Malone (5-1) picked up the win for Wichita State, allowing nine hits and four runs in five innings. Johnson went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in the victory including three runs scored and two RBIs.

The Shockers take on North Dakota Fri., March 7 at 6 p.m. in the second day of the Shocker Softball Classic.

-WICHITA STATE-