SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—A Liz Broyles go-ahead RBI single that capped a 3-4 day at the plate, a Macklin Hitz three-run homer that capped a six-RBI game, and a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh that capped five perfect innings in relief from Katie Malone lifted the Shockers to a 10-6 series-winning victory on Wednesday night against Missouri State in Springfield. With the win, Wichita State moves to 29-21 overall (11-10 MVC) as Missouri State dropped to 26-19 (14-6 MVC).
Malone picked up her 16th win of the season on Wednesday night, this time in relief of Kelsey Sterneker who pitched after Jenni Brooks started the game. Malone was perfect, pitching the final five innings of the game without allowing a hit or walking a batter. During Malone's perfect stretch, she struck out three while throwing 52 pitches.
Erin Struemph took her 10th loss of the season for Missouri State. She pitched 4.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits, walked one and struck out five.
Both Broyles and Hitz went 3-4, and were responsible for eight of the Shockers' 10 RBI against Missouri State on Wednesday night.
As Broyles went 3-4 with two RBI (including the go-ahead RBI-single in the top of the seventh) and two runs scored, Hitz was 3-4 with her sixth homer of the year (a three-run homer in the top of the seventh), a run scored and six RBI. Hitz's six RBI was the most RBI by a Shocker in a single game since February 22, 2013 when Megan McCracken had six RBI against Detroit.
Kelli Spring was 1-3 with her first homer of the season (a solo homer which at the time, tied the game at six apiece in the top of the fourth). Mackenzie Wright and Melanie Jaegers each had two hits, as Wright was 2-3 with three runs scored and Jaegers was 2-3 with a RBI.
Mary Stephens went 1-3 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored to pace the Bears.
Wichita State scored three runs on four hits while sending eight batters to the plate to take a 3-0 lead after the top of the first. Out of the eight batters who came to the plate in the top of the first, six consecutive batters reached while four of the six reached with two outs. All three Shocker runs in the top of the first came with two outs, and all three runs scored on three consecutive at-bats.
Broyles began the Shocker three-run first by hitting a RBI-double down the left field line, scoring Brittany Fortner. Moments later, Hitz singled to left, scoring Wright. To cap off the top of the first, Jaegers beat out an infield-single to second, allowing Broyles to score and for the Shockers to have a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.
The Bears answered the Shockers' top of the first with two runs in the bottom of the first. Chelsea Jones singled up the middle, scoring Stephens to close the Shocker lead to 3-1. A throwing error by Spring allowed Erika Zimmer to advance to third right after the second out was made. Moments later, a RBI single by Chelsea Thomas scored Zimmer to trim the Shocker lead to 3-2 at the end of the first inning.
Missouri State scored three runs on four hits to take a 5-3 lead after two innings, as all three of the Bears' runs were produced by two home runs.
Stephens hit a two-run homer to deep left center, giving Missouri State a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second with one out. Two batters later, Rebecca McPherson homered in nearly the identical location that Stephens homered two batters earlier, increasing the Shocker deficit to 5-3.
With no outs in the top of the third, the Shockers tied the game at five-all after an opposite field two-RBI double by Hitz, scoring both Broyles and Wright.
Erin Duewel homered to deep center to lead off the bottom of the third, giving the Bears the lead again at 6-5.
Spring hit her own leadoff solo homer (her first homer of the season) to begin the top of the fourth, and tie the game at six apiece.
The game remained tied at 6-6 heading into the top of the seventh. At this point in the game, Malone (who pitched in relief of Sterneker) retired all 12 batters faced since she entered the game in the bottom of the third after the solo homer by Duewel.
Broyles' go-ahead, RBI-double in the top of the seventh gave the Shockers a 7-6 lead. Moments later, a three-run homer by Hitz broke the game open for the Shockers, as they took a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Malone retired the final three batters in order to secure the 10-6 victory, and to pitch her five perfect innings in relief.
Wichita State plays their last home series of the regular season when they face Evansville for a three-game series on April 25-26 inside Wilkins Stadium in Wichita.
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