ARLINGON, Texas – Wichita State opened play at the Boerner Invitational with wins over Missouri State, 8-1, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 5-4, Friday at Allan Saxe Field.

Wichita State (7-2) has now won five straight games and avenged a loss to Texas A&M Corpus Christi two weeks ago at the Scrap Yard Blizzard Challenge when the Islanders won, 5-1.

Erin McDonald (3-1) pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out eight vs. Missouri State. Caitlin Bingham (1-0) started game two and threw 5.2 innings, allowing all four of her runs in the first inning. She walked only two and struck out five to earn her first win of the season.

Bailey Lange recorded her first save of the season in 1.1 innings of work vs. the Islanders.

Ryleigh Buck almost singlehandedly carried the offense vs. Missouri State, accounting for six of the team's eight runs. She was 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. The highlight was her fifth inning grand slam.

Sydney McKinney (2-for-5) and Madison Perrigan (2-for-4) both collected a pair of hits in the opener.

Perrigan's big moment came in the first inning of game two when she drove a two-run shot to straightaway center field for her 40th career home run, becoming Wichita State's all-time home run leader. Perrigan surpassed Laurie Derrico and Cacy Williams who both finished their careers with 39.

Addison Barnard homered for the fifth time in six games, going 1-for-4 with three RBI. Her second inning blast turned out to be the game-winning runs.

After four scoreless innings in game one, Wichita State broke it wide open in the top of the fifth. The Shockers loaded the bases with one out and then scored their first run on a Herring walk. After a Lauren Mills strikeout, Bailee Nickerson plated a run on another walk. The very next batter, Buck, proceeded to unload the bases with a two-out grand slam.

Buck added her second home run in the top of the seventh with a two-run shot to make it 8-0. Missouri State scratched out its lone run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single following a leadoff triple.

In game two, Texas A&M Corpus Christi started the game by putting a four-spot in the run column in the top of the first. Thanks to Perrigan's two-run home run in the bottom half, Wichita State made it a 4-2 game after the first full inning.

The very next inning, Barnard crushed her fifth home run of the season – a three-run shot – to give Wichita State a 5-4 lead.

Neither team would score again, but Texas A&M Corpus Christi threatened in the top of the sixth. The Islanders had runners on second and third with two outs when head coach Kristi Bredbenner made a pitching change. She brought in Lange who immediately induced a comebacker to escape with no damage.

Wichita State continues play tomorrow vs. North Texas at 2 p.m. and UT Arlington at 7 p.m.