FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 25 Wichita State defeated Illinois, 8-3, in the first game of the Razorback Invitational, but dropped the second to Longwood on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 7th, 4-2.

Wichita State (5-2) defeated an Illinois team that was ranked in the Top 25 in the Softball America and D1 Softball Polls. Longwood came into the day just 1-4 on the season.

Game 1 vs. Illinois

Bailey Urban continued her hot start at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs and two RBI. Jessica Garcia recorded a pair of singles to go with two RBI. Sydney McKinney returned to action and added two hits in four at-bats. Neleigh Herring, Lauren Lucas and Addison Barnard all homered in the game.

Alison Cooper threw a complete game in her first career start in the circle. The freshman lefty allowed just three runs on nine hits and one walk.

Illinois scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly.

After Wichita State left the bases loaded in the top of the third, Illinois took advantage in the bottom half on an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Shockers finally broke into the scoring column in the fourth. Zoe Jones led off the inning with a walk followed by an Urban double. With runners on second and third Garcia delivered a two-run single down the third base line to tie the game at 2-2.

A quick 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth for Cooper brought the Shockers back to the plate in the top of the fifth, and the long ball would be featured. With one out, Herring belted a solo shot over the right field wall to give the Shockers their first lead at 3-2. Three batters later Urban drove a deep fly over the center field fence, scoring two.

Two more home runs in the top of the sixth made it 8-2. Lauren Lucas hit her first career home run, a solo shot to left-center. Following a McKinney single, Barnard drove her fourth of the season out of the park in right.

Illinois got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run.

Game 2 vs. Longwood

Wichita State was held to just three hits in the game. The lone runs came on a Sydney McKinney two-run home run in the top of the fifth.

Erin McDonald went just 3.2 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and two runs. Jordyn Pipkin received the loss in 3.0 innings of relief. She struck out three and allowed two runs on four hits.

Longwood scored its first two runs in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch and RBI single.

In the bottom of the seventh, Longwood got its leadoff hitter on base via an infield single. Two batters later Korynna Anderson ended the game with a walk-off two-run home run.

Up Next
Wichita State hits the field tomorrow morning for the final two games of the Razorback Invitational. They will face Western Illinois at 10 a.m. and No. 10 Arkansas at 12:15 p.m.