WICHITA, Kan. – Cade Clemons hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Wichita State baseball team to a 2-1 victory over the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lions on a snowy Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 25, at Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field.
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Wichita State (5-2) is scheduled to conclude its five-game homestand with a 3 p.m. showdown vs. Kansas State (3-4) Wednesday, Feb. 26.
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With the game tied, 1-1,
Couper Cornblum led-off the bottom of the ninth with a bunt single to third base, before
Garrett Kocis worked a walk and pinch-hitter
Jacob Katzfey loaded the bases with nobody out via a fielder's choice bunt, bringing Clemons to the plate.
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The freshman from Lee's Summit, Mo., belted the first pitch he saw into left field, allowing Cornblum to cross home plate, sealing the first walk-off win of 2020 for WSU.
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Cornblum went 3-for-4 at the plate, while redshirt freshman
Cooper Elliot posted a triple in his first-career start for Wichita State, pacing the WSU offense.
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Reliever
Foster Gifford (1-0) earned his first victory on the mound as a Shocker after throwing a scoreless ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
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The Lions (3-6) gained a 1-0 advantage in the top of the third on a RBI single off the bat of Jarficur Parker.
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Wichita State answered in the bottom of the fifth, though, tying the game after Elliot belted a one-out triple to right-center, prior to scoring on a single to left from
Jack Sigrist.
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Parker and Kacey Higgins both went 2-for-4 in the batter's box, leading UAPB.
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Arkansas-Pine Bluff starter Joel Barker (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in eight innings.
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