WICHITA, Kan. – After dropping two games on Saturday, the Shocker bats came alive on Sunday, as they defeated Illinois State by a score of 11-3 in five innings to finish the weekend 1-2.
 
Senior Katie Malone got her 18^th start of the year and threw all five innings, only allowing three runs on six hits, while striking out five batters.
 
Mackenzie Wright was the story for the Shockers offensively as she went 2-for-3 on the day including a grand slam. Wright also collected six RBI on the day which is tied for third all-time in Shocker history for RBI in a game, tying Megan McCracken who had six RBI against Detroit in 2013.
 
The second inning was huge for the Shockers as Madison Perrigan led off with a solo home run to give Wichita State a 1-0 lead. After Mauriana Jamele reached on an error and back-to-back singles from Macklin Hitz and Ashley Johnson, Mackenzie Wright hit a grand-slam over the left field wall for her first home run of the year to make the score 5-0.
 
In the top of the fourth, after a two-out double, Shannon Felde singled to center on what at first was called a catch by the umpires but was later overturned to give cut the Shockers lead to 5-1.
 
The Shockers fired right back in the bottom of the fourth. Johnson and Wright both reached on a walk and Kelli Spring moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Laurie Derrico then hit her eighth home run of the year to extend Wichita State's lead to 8-1.
 
Just one run away from the run-rule, the Redbirds scored two runs in the top of the fifth on a home run from Riley Strandgard.
 
Wichita State would not stop scoring, adding two runs on a bases loaded double from Wright. The Shockers then scored the final run of the game on a single up the middle from Spring to end the game and give Wichita State the 11-3 win.
 
The Shockers are now 17-12 on the season and move to 4-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Wichita State will be in action again on Wednesday as they host Missouri in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.

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