HARTFORD, Conn. – The Wichita State University baseball team split a doubleheader to wrap up a three-game American Athletic Conference series at UConn Saturday, May 4, at Dunkin' Donuts Park, dropping game one, 2-1, before rolling to a 12-5 triumph in the nightcap.
 
Wichita State (21-26, 6-12 American), which snapped a seven-game losing skid with its game two victory, is scheduled to face Missouri State in a midweek game Tuesday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.
 
The Shockers hit a combined four homers in the twin bill, with Paxton Wallace hitting a grand slam and Mason O'Brien tallying a pair of solo homers in the game two win, and Ross Cadena posting a solo home run in the first game.
 
In the 12-5 victory in the series finale, Wichita State scored early and often, gaining a 1-0 lead after O'Brien's solo shot to left-center in the top of the second before increasing its advantage to 5-0 in the third when Wallace blasted a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for his seventh homer of the season and the Shockers first grand slam since 2018.
 
WSU ballooned its lead to 11-1 with a five-spot in the top of the eighth. Jake Plastiak scored the opening pair of runs in the frame on a two-RBI single up the middle, prior to Alex Jackson crossing home plate on a passed ball and Jack Sigrist and Plastiak scoring on a UConn error.
 
The Huskies (29-19, 9-9 American) plated a trio of runs in the bottom-half of the eighth to trim the Wichita State advantage to 11-4.
 
O'Brien put an exclamation mark on the offensive surge for the Shockers in the top of the ninth, slugging an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right field for his second round-tripper of the contest and third of the season for WSU's 12th and final run of the game.
 
Freshman right-hander Connery Peters (1-1) earned the victory on the mound in the nightcap, pitching a career-high seven innings and allowing just one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
 
Designated hitter Christian Fedko went a perfect 3-of-3 with a pair of runs driven in, pacing UConn in game two.
 
Colby Dunlop (4-4) suffered the loss after giving up five earned runs on four hits with two walks and no strikeouts in three innings of work.
 
In game one of the twin bill, the Huskies wasted no time gaining the lead, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage after scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning.
 
The Shockers responded in the top of the fifth, however, and cut the lead to 2-1 after Cadena belted a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for a solo homer – his second round-tripper of the season.
 
Senior Clayton McGinness (4-4) was the tough-luck losing pitcher for the Shockers in the opener after throwing seven innings and surrendering two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
 
Fedko also led the Huskies in game one, going 1-for-3 with a double and RBI.
 
UConn starter Jeff Kersten (5-3) was the winning pitcher in game one after giving up one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks in 5 2/3 innings, while closer Jacob Wallace secured his team and conference-best 11th save of the season after throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.