OMAHA, Neb. – Paige Luellen and
Ryleigh Buck led the Wichita State softball team to a 12-5 victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes on day two of the Creighton Tournament. Luellen went 2-for-4 with four RBI while Buck went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Mckenzie Weber earned her first career start in the circle, knocking down her first career looking strikeout on the first batter.
It didn't take long for the Shocker bats to come alive.
Mackenzie Wright fought back from two strikes to draw a walk in the first with
Laurie Derrico singling through the left to get two on base. Luellen then hit a deep single to center field to get both home and give Wichita State an early 2-0 lead.
The Hawkeyes would come straight back in the second with a leadoff walk and infield single getting two on base. Another single into center field loaded the bases with a throwing error getting a Hawkeye home to cut the lead to 2-1. Weber threw two more swinging strikeouts to keep the Shockers in the lead.
Morgan Palmer crushed her second triple in two games to right center in the second; Derrico drew a walk to get runners on the corners but a groundout got the Hawkeyes out the inning.
In the third Iowa took the lead. Two straight errors and a single tied the game with another two singles adding two more for the Hawkeyes.
Bailey Klitzke replaced Weber in the circle but the fourth single of the half inning added another for Iowa to push the lead to 5-2.
The Shockers came straight back in the bottom half, scoring five runs on three hits.
Madison Perrigan got on base through an error, Nickerson singled through the left and a fielder's choice got Perrigan home. Klitzke singled to center field to get Nickerson home and tie the game at 5-5. Buck then singled into center field to get
Asea Webber home with Buck scoring on a passed ball and Wright reaching first on a fielder's choice and eventually getting home via a wild pitch to push the Shocker lead to 7-5.
Wichita State added another four in the fifth. Buck singled to get on base with Palmer drawing a walk to get two on. Derrico drew a walk quickly followed by Luellen to get Buck home. Perrigan hit a deep fly shot to right field that the fielder dropped to get two more home. Webber singled to get Luellen to home plate and extend the Shockers lead to 11-5.
It became 12-5 in the sixth with Buck leading off the inning with a single; Luellen singled down the left to get her home for her fourth RBI of the day.
Klitzke got the final three outs to get the win (5-1 on the year) with Wichita State moving to 15-10 with their second game of the day against Creighton beginning at 2:30 p.m.
