WICHITA, Kan.—Wichita State's softball team swept Evansville by a score of 5-2 during Sunday's game inside Wilkins Stadium on what was Senior Day for the Wichita State softball team. Brianne Bond, Erin Carney, Layne Greenlee, and Melanie Jaegers were the four Wichita State softball seniors who were honored before the game for their contributions to the Wichita State softball program.
After the Shocker sweep, Wichita State moved to 32-21 (14-10 MVC) while Evansville dropped to 10-42 (2-21 MVC). Since March 28, the Shockers have won 15 of their last 18 games overall, including 13 of their last 16 Missouri Valley Conference games.
Katie Malone picked up her 18th win of the season. By picking up her 18th win of the season, Malone moved into a tie for eighth place on the all-time wins list in a single season, tying Lindsey Lang who also won 18 games in 2003. She's also already set a new career high for wins in a season, as her 17th win on Saturday eclipsed her previous career high of 16 wins during her freshman season.
Jenni Brooks pitched the final three innings to record her second save of the season.
Amanda Blankenship took her 24th loss of the season. She pitched a complete game and allowed four earned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out three.
Brittany Fortner and Kelli Spring were both 2-4 with a run scored, as Fortner also had a RBI. Jaegers also recorded two hits, as she was 2-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Mackenzie Wright and Macklin Hitz both recorded a hit and scored a run as well.
Danielle Freeman was 1-3 with a two-run homer and a run scored.
Danielle Freeman hit a two-run homer to deep left field, giving the Purple Aces a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Hitz doubled to lead off the bottom of the second, and advanced to third with two outs in the inning. Jaegers fouled out to Morgan Lambert at first base to record the third out, and to keep Evansville up 2-0 after two innings.
The Shockers had just one hit on Senior Day until the bottom of the fourth when Kelli Spring tripled to left center to lead off the inning. This sparked a three-run Shocker rally on two hits that allowed them to take a 3-2 lead.
Wright was hit by a pitch to set up runners at first (Wright) and third (Spring) with no outs. As Wright stole second during the Hitz at bat, the throw to second by Hayli Scott was low and reflected off the glove of Luckett, allowing Wright to advance to third and Spring to steal home to cut the Evansville lead in half at 2-1. Moments later, Hitz reached on an error when Abbi Fahse dropped Hitz's fly ball to right, scoring Wright to tie the game at two apiece.
Wichita State took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Jaegers singled up the middle, scoring Hitz to give the Shockers the 3-2 lead after four innings.
Morgan Lambert doubled to right center to lead off the top of the fifth, forcing Brooks into the game. Once Brooks entered, she struck out the side, stranding Lambert at second while keeping the game at 3-2 in favor of the Shockers after the top half of the fifth.
The bases were loaded for Wichita State in the bottom of the fifth with one out, and Hitz at the plate. Hitz popped out to Lambert at first, but Williams walked in four pitches to force in a run and earn a RBI, scoring Fortner to push Wichita State's lead to 4-2 after five innings.
Fortner hit a RBI-single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring Jaegers to push the Shocker lead to 5-2 that later became the final score.
-WICHITA STATE-
