WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State softball team split the doubleheader to wrap up the series with UConn with an 8-6 win after losing the first game (4-2) on Sunday at Wilkins Stadium.

Ryleigh Buck came up with her fourth career game with three hits, driving in three runs in the Sunday win. Erin McDonald recorded her fourth save of the season after pitching the last 1.2 innings without giving up a hit and Hailey Martinez collected her third win of the season.

Game One
After a scoreless first inning, UConn carried its momentum from Friday into the top of the second inning by getting on the board first. Kiwi McDaniel hit her first home run of the season to right center, giving the Huskies an early one-run lead.

McDaniel followed up with a leadoff double in the top of the fourth, with Olivia Sappington driving in two more runs off a home run to right field to make it a 3-0 lead. Three straight walks loaded the bases for the Huskies, with a fourth walk bringing in their fourth run of the game.

The Shockers responded in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Wylie Glover coming up with a leadoff single up the middle. After Madison Perrigan drew a walk, Buck doubled to right center to cut the deficit to two runs.

UConn looked to add to its lead in the top of the seventh, getting runners on second and third following an error and a double. Two groundouts, however, stranded the runners and kept the Shockers only two runs down. Wichita State was forced into three straight outs in the final half-inning and held to only one hit in the final two innings that allowed the Huskies to come away with the win.

Game Two
Looking to avoid the sweep, the Shockers got to work early in the final game of the series. After a single from Sydney McKinney to center field. Perrigan came up with her seventh home run of the season to give the Shockers a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

After being forced to 1-2-3 inning, Wichita State responded with a six-run inning in the bottom of the third. Following singles by McKinney and Perrigan, Buck launched her fifth home run of the season that extended the Shocker lead to five runs. Two walks and a Husky error loaded the bases for the Shockers, setting up Adi Reese for her first career double that extended the lead to 8-0.

UConn avoided getting run-ruled, however, by scoring six unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth inning. Reese Guevarra started the top of the fourth with a single, with Briana Marcelino driving in two runs that cut the deficit to six. The Huskies strung together two consecutive doubles, cutting the Shocker lead down to five.

After Ashley Esty got on base with a single, Marcelino hit her second home run of the day and cut the lead 8-6. UConn looked to steal the win in the top of the sixth with two singles, but Wichita State inserted McDonald to close it out. The Norman, Okla., native did not disappoint, retiring UConn's last six batters.

Reese set a career high for RBIs in just her fourth start of the season, while Perrigan registered her eighth multi-hit game of the season. McKinney collected at least two hits for the sixth time this season, with Sunday marking the 25th career multi-hit game for Buck.

Wichita State (21-14, 2-4) wraps up the homestand on Wednesday with a non-conference doubleheader against Missouri starting at 3 p.m.