FULLERTON, Calif. – Wichita State's softball team finished the Long Beach State Louisville Slugger Tournament with a win over Utah Valley, 8-3, on Saturday morning at the Anderson Family Field. With the win, the Shockers improve to 10-9 as Utah Valley dropped to 5-10. Wichita State also finished 3-2 at the Long Beach State Louisville Slugger Tournament.

Katie Malone (5-4) picked up the win in relief of Kelsey Sterneker. She pitched the complete game, gave up just one run (earned) on five hits, walked one and struck out six.

Kailey Christensen took the loss (0-1). She pitched four innings, gave up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits, walked one and struck out one.

Cacy Williams went 1-4 with her third home run of the season, and with two RBI. Liz Broyles went 3-4 with a run scored.

Brianna Gatlin went 2-2 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored.

Kelli Spring hit a bunt-single to Utah third baseman Brittney Vansway, but Vansway committed a two-base throwing error when she threw the ball from just beyond home plate to the right field corner. This allowed Spring to advance to third, setting up Brittany Fortner's eventual RBI-groundout that put the Shocks up 1-0 after the top of the first.

Utah Valley answered with a towering two-run home run from Gatlin in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Malone then entered the game in relief after Utah Valley had runners on first and third with one out. She struck out Hensley while forcing a Megan Peay pop-out to Mackenzie Wright that ended the bottom half of the first.

During the top half of the second, Wichita State had runners on second and third with one out after a Melanie Jaegers sacrifice bunt advanced Wright to second, and Macklin Hitz to third. The Shockers tied the game at two apiece after a short pop fly by Layne Greenlee dropped in shallow left field, scoring Hitz.

The Shockers used three runs on three hits to take a 5-2 lead after the top half of the fourth.

Jaeger's second sacrifice bunt in as many plate appearances advanced Wright to third with just one out. Greenlee grounded out to Utah Valley first baseman Taleigh Williams for the second out. Ashley Johnson beat out an infield single that allowed Wright to score, and to regain the Shocker lead at 3-2. Moments later, Cacy Williams connected on her third home run of the season (a two-run home run) off the left field foul pole that extended the Shocker lead to 5-2.

With Broyles (who doubled) on second and Fortner (who walked) on third with no outs in the top of the fifth, Utah Valley pitcher Kellee Ramsey threw a wild pitch that scored Fortner to push the Shocker lead to 6-2. Wright hit a sacrifice fly to score Broyles, and to push the Shocker lead to 7-2 after the top half of the fifth.

A two-out, RBI-double by Fortner pushed the Shocker lead to 8-2 during the top of the sixth.

Utah Valley answered the Shockers' run in the top of the sixth with a towering solo home run from Jaylen Watson to cut the Shocker lead to 8-3 during the bottom of the sixth.

The Wolverines loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, and with Watson at the plate. Malone forced Watson to fly out to Ashley Johnson to end the game, and clinch the 8-3 Shocker victory.

The Shockers' next game is their home opener, as they play South Dakota at 5 p.m. inside Wilkins Stadium during the Wichita State-hosted WSU Tournament.

-WICHITA STATE-