WICHITA, Kan.—Wichita State's softball team swept their Saturday doubleheader against Evansville inside Wilkins Stadium. The Shockers took game one by a score of 6-2, and defeated the Purple Aces during game two by a score of 8-0 (five inn.) With the two wins, the Shockers now move to 31-21 (13-10 MVC), as Evansville dropped to 10-41 (2-20 MVC).
Saturday's Wichita State softball games included R.B. Eye Awareness Day, which had special merchandise and memorabilia being sold to raise funds for the Cure for Retinal Blindness Foundation.
By the Shockers winning their first game against Evansville on Saturday afternoon, the Shockers hit the 30-win mark for the second year in a row under the leadership of head coach Kristi Bredbenner and the Wichita State softball coaching staff. The last time the Wichita State softball program earned 30 wins or more in two consecutive seasons was during the 2007 and 2008 seasons when the Shockers won 37 games in 2007 and 33 games in 2008.
Kelli Spring was 4-6 with three runs scored to pace the Shockers on Saturday. Spring also had a RBI, two walks, and was 2-2 in stolen base attempts.
McKenzie Adams and Mackenzie Wright were both 3-6 while each scored a run, had three total bases, and stole a base on Saturday as well. Wright also had three RBI on the day.
Wichita State finishes their three-game set against Evansville on Sunday at noon inside Wilkins Stadium. Sunday will feature Senior Day, where each of the four Shocker seniors will be honored before the game. Senior Day will also coincide with the Campus Study Break, which will include free pregame BBQ for all Greek and residence hall members. All houses and residences halls in attendance at Sunday's game will be recognized.
Game 1: Wichita State 6, Evansville 2
Katie Malone picked up her 17th win of the season during game one of Saturday's doubleheader while also picking up her 16th complete game of the season. As Malone picked up the win and complete game, she allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked one and struck out three.
Samantha Fleming took her eighth loss of the season for Evansville. She pitched four innings and allowed five earned runs on four hits, walked five and struck out one.
Brittany Fortner was 2-3 with a RBI to lead the Shockers. Kelli Spring and Cacy Williams each had a hit and RBI, as Liz Broyles was 1-3 with a double.
Hayli Scott was 2-3 with a double to lead the Purple Aces.
Wichita State had runners on second and third with one out during the bottom of the first and second inning. Both innings, Amanda Blankenship retired the next two batters to retire the side, keeping the game scoreless through two innings.
Evansville loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third, and Michal Luckett at the plate. Luckett hit a sacrifice fly to Ashley Johnson, scoring Chandra Parr to take a 1-0 lead.
Wichita State used a three-run rally on two hits with one Evansville error to take a 3-1 lead during the bottom of the third.
Williams doubled to right and advanced to third on a throwing error by Abbi Fahse. Kelli Spring scored just before Fahse's throwing error, and Fortner scored after the throwing error to give the Shockers a 2-1 lead. Moments later, Hitz had a sacrifice fly that scored Williams to increase the Shocker lead to 3-1 heading into the top of the fourth.
The Shockers had their second straight three-run rally, this time in the bottom of the fourth to expand their lead to 6-1. Their three-run rally was created by Spring. Spring singled to center and advanced to second on the throw, scoring Johnson to put the Shockers up 4-1. Moments later, Fortner used a sacrifice fly to Fahse to score Mackenzie Wright, giving the Shocks a 5-1 lead. Williams was caught stealing second, but Spring scored from third to increase the lead to 6-1 after four innings.
A sacrifice fly by Fahse scored Luckett to cut the Shocker lead to 6-2 after the top half of the sixth.
Malone allowed Parr to reach because of a hit-by-pitch after recording the first out, but retired the next two batters to secure the 6-2 Shockers win, and to give the Shockers their second 30-win season in a row.
Game 2: Wichita State 8, Evansville 0 (5 inn.)
Jenni Brooks picked up her 10th win of the season. By Brooks picking up her 10th win of the season, she became the second Shocker to reach 10 wins in 2015, joining Katie Malone who has 17 after her game one victory earlier on Saturday.
Saturday was also Brooks' second complete game shutout in her last three outings. She previously had a complete-game shutout during game two of the Bradley series last weekend in Peoria, Ill. Saturday's complete game shutout for Brooks included her allowing just four hits, she walked one and struck out two.
Cecillia Dopart took her 10th loss of the season. She pitched four innings, allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits, walked three and struck out three.
Kelli Spring was 3-4 as Mackenzie Wright, Ashley Johnson and McKenzie Adams each had two hits. As Wright had three RBI, Johnson had one of her own.
The Shockers hit two homers during game two, with both taking place in the bottom of the fifth inning. Macklin Hitz's solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth was her seventh homer of the season, while Michelle Dixon's homer was a pinch-hit two-run homer that was her first homer of the season.
Michal Luckett led the Purple aces by going 1-2 with a double.
Wichita State had runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the third. Wright then hit a two-RBI single and advanced to second on the throw home, scoring both Johnson and Spring to give the Shockers their first lead of the game at 2-0.
The Shockers loaded the bases with two outs, and with Brittany Fortner at the plate during the bottom of the fourth. However, Fortner flied out to right to end the inning, keeping the score at 2-0 through four innings.
Heading into the fifth inning, a pitcher's duel took place. There were a combined nine hits by the two teams while the Shockers had the 2-0 lead. As the Shockers had five hits, the Purple Aces had four. Brooks was working on a four-hit shutout as Dopart allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three.
Wichita State scored six runs on eight hits with one Evansville error to win 8-0 in five innings to sweep the Saturday doubleheader. The six-run bottom of the fifth that ended Saturday's second game included  a solo homer by Hitz (her seventh of the season), and a two-run pinch-hit home run by Michelle Dixon (her first of the season).
The Shockers finish their three-game series with Evansville on Sunday at noon inside Wilkins Stadium. Sunday will feature Senior Day, where each of the four Shocker seniors will be honored before the game. Senior Day will also coincide with the Campus Study Break, which will include free pregame BBQ for all Greek and residence hall members. All houses and residences halls in attendance at Sunday's game will be recognized.
-WICHITA STATE-
