WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State softball team was swept by Missouri in a doubleheader on Wednesday at Wilkins Stadium, falling by scores of 7-1 and 7-3.
The Shockers totaled 10 hits in the two outings, with
Bailee Nickerson and
Wylie Glover coming up with a multi-hit game.
Laurie Derrico hit her fifth home run of the season in game two, putting her three home runs away from becoming the all-time home runs leader in Shocker Softball history.
Game One
After two scoreless innings, four straight walks drawn by the Tigers allowed Mizzou to take a one-run lead in the top of the third. Wichita State responded a half-inning later, with Nickerson crushing her first home run in 55 at-bats that allowed the Shockers to tie it up.
Following a shutout inning in the top of the fourth, Mizzou got the leadoff runner on one inning later off a Shocker fielding error. A double to left field by Mizzou's Jazmyn Rollin drove in two runs and gave the Tigers the lead that they would not give up for the rest of the game. Mizzou scored two more runs off a fielding error by Wichita State, making it a 5-1 lead.
Mizzou kept the momentum going in the top of the sixth, driving in two more runs off a single after a walk and right field single. The Shockers were held to a .200 team batting average and gave up eight walks for the first time since March 10 against Nebraska.
Game Two
Erin McDonald started her 13th game of the season only giving up one hit through the first three innings, resulting in three shutout innings to start game two. After a single by
Wylie Glover a half-inning later,
Asea Webber launched her fourth home run of the season to give the Shockers a two-run lead.
Mizzou quickly responded with a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning, courtesy of Rollin, that cut the Wichita State lead to one. The Shockers forced Mizzou into six straight outs, but the Tigers led off the top of the sixth inning with a single. After a walk, Mizzou's Kim Wert hit a three-run home run to left field to swing the lead over to the Tigers.
Hatti Moore followed that shot in her next at-bat, hitting her fourth home run of the season to extend Mizzou's lead to 5-2. Wichita State responded a half-inning later, with Derrico hitting a home run that cut the lead to two runs. With two outs, Missouri hit a double and Wert hit her second home run of the day to give the Tigers the four-run advantage.
Wichita State (21-16, 2-4) makes its first conference road trip of the season on Friday, facing American Athletic Conference standings leader UCF in a three-game series in Orlando.
