OMAHA, Neb. – The Wichita State softball team scored 11 runs on 13 hits, including a grand slam by
Laurie Derrico, but fell in extra innings to Creighton 12-11 at the CU Sports Complex.
Mackenzie Wright led off the game with a single through the left side,
Ryleigh Buck bunted but Creighton chose to get Wright out at second before Buck advanced to second and then to third on two wild pitches. Derrico singled into center field to get Buck home and give Wichita State an early 1-0 lead.
But the Bluejays would come storming back in the bottom half of the inning.
Caitlin Bingham knocked the first two batters down in order but a walk and two singles tied the game. A double into center field got another two home to make it 3-1.
The Shocker bats would then come back alive in the next inning.
Bailee Nickerson led off with a single into left field before Bingham crushed the next at-bat deep to center field with the ball bouncing off the top of the fence and staying in play for a double. Wright drew a walk before Buck singled to get Webber home. Derrico then crushed one over the left field fence for a grand slam to put the Shockers back on top 6-3.
Creighton got a runner on second in the third with a double to right field, and then a rocket over the left field fence cut the Shockers' lead to 6-5.
Wright singled again in the fourth with Derrico drawing a walk to get two on base.
Paige Luellen singled to center field to get Wright home with
Madison Perrigan doubling to deep right field to get Derrico home. Nickerson then doubled to center field to get both Luellen and Perrigan home to push the score to 10-5.
In the bottom half of the fifth the Bluejays tied it back up at 10-10. A leadoff double and a walk got two runners on with
Hailey Martinez replacing Klitzke before a wild pitch scored a runner. A single scored a second with a walk getting another runner on. A three-run home run tied the game up.
Bailey Lange replaced Martinez and the Shockers finally got out of the 30-minute half inning with a strikeout and a ground out.
Both teams went down in order in the sixth. Wichita State got two on base in the seventh but couldn't take advantage.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Buck started the eighth inning on second base with Derrico executing the sacrifice bunt perfectly to get her to third. Luellen singled through the left to get Buck home to give the Shockers an 11-10 lead.
The Bluejays would once again come storming back with two singles getting two runners home to give Creighton the walk-off 12-11 victory.
Wichita State dropped to 14-10 on the year, with the Shockers facing Iowa and Creighton again on Sunday at Noon and 2:30 p.m. at the CU Sports Complex.
