WICHITA, Kan. - Trailing by three runs early in the fourth inning, Wichita State overcame the deficit heading into the final half-inning against Houston. The Cougars, however, snatched the win by scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to even the series at 1-1 with a 5-4 win over the Shockers on Saturday at Wilkins Stadium. 

Ryleigh Buck led the way offensively with two hits in her two at-bats, driving in two runs off a home run. Erin McDonald pitched her fifth complete game of the season, to go with three strikeouts. 

Houston started the top of the first inning with a leadoff double to left field, scoring the game's first run off a passed ball. A single from Savannah Heebner to left field extended the Cougar lead 2-0, adding another run in the top of the third thanks to a double. 

The Shockers responded in the bottom of the fourth, coming up with a four-run inning. Asea Webber got things started with a leadoff single, with a double from Laurie Derrico putting runners in scoring position and the tying run at the plate. A single from Madison Perrigan down the right field line scored the first run for Wichita State, with Derrico scoring off a Houston error. 

With the tying run at second, Buck brought Bailee Nickerson home with her fourth home run of the season and gave the Shockers the 4-3 lead. Houston would get a leadoff runner on base in the top of the fifth, but McDonald came up with a strikeout and forced a groundout to second after the sacrifice bunt to retire the side. 

After Wichita State forced Houston into a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth, the Cougars prevented the Shockers from scoring any insurance runs by turning a grounder to strand the runner at third a half-inning later. Following a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, Houston's Arielle James came up with a double to put the go-ahead run on second base. 

Heebner hit a grounder that looked to score the tying run, but Kaylee Huecker made the fielder's choice play at second and threw the Houston runner out at the plate to protect the Shockers' lead with one out to go. The Cougars came up with the play that turned into the decider, with pinch hitter Rachel Hill hitting a single to center field that scored the tying and go-ahead run. 

The Cougars forced the Shockers into a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh to steal the win and give the Shockers their first home loss of the season. Webber came up with her seventh multi-hit game of the season and Buck collected her sixth game obtaining two or more hits. 

Wichita State (20-9, 1-1) wraps up the season series with Houston on Sunday at Wilkins Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.