AUSTIN, Texas – The Wichita State softball team battled back from a four-run deficit to take down the Texas Longhorns, 7-5, in game two of the Texas Invitational with
Ryleigh Buck going 2-for-4 at the plate to spark the Shocker offense.
In the second inning, the Texas bats dominated after a one-out walk. A single got runners on the corners with a wild pitch getting a Longhorn home. Starting pitcher
Bailey Lange hit a batter before another single loaded the bases. The third single of the inning got two to home plate and gave the Longhorns a 4-0 lead.
In the third the Wichita State bats showed some signs of life,
Morgan Palmer singled to the shortstop and beat out the throw to first. Buck singled into center field to get runners on the corners with
Bailee Nickerson battling a 10-pitch at-bat to draw the walk and loading the bases.
Laurie Derrico doubled to deep center field after another long at-bat to get Buck and Palmer home, cutting the score to 4-2.
Caitlin Bingham took over in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff double and 4-3 putout getting a Longhorn to third and a double down the left field line pushing the score to 5-2. A wild pitch and walk put runners on the corners with
Bailey Klitzke taking over from Bingham and getting the Shockers out of the jam.
If the second inning belonged to the Longhorns, the fourth definitely belonged to the Shockers. Bingham led off with a first-pitch single to left-center,
Asea Webber drew a walk with Klitzke battling back from a two-strike count to draw the second straight walk and load the bases for the second straight inning. Palmer and Wright both popped out before
Ryleigh Buck crushed a double deep to center field to get three Shockers home and tying the game at 5-5.
In the sixth,
Madison Perrigan led off with a triple down the right field line, the first triple of her career. Webber singled to left field to give the Shockers a 6-5 lead. A sac bunt from Klitzke got Webber to second with a single into left-center from Palmer getting her home to push the lead to 7-5.
In the bottom of the sixth the Longhorns finally got a hit on Klitzke with an infield single but couldn't pull a run back.
The Shockers got the final three outs in the seventh to move to 6-5 on the season, Klitzke got the win to move to 2-1. Wichita State faces No. 20 Michigan at Noon before a rematch with No. 21 Ohio State at 8:00 p.m. with the game against the Buckeyes live on the Longhorn Network.
