GREENVILLE, N.C. – Wichita State opened the weekend series at East Carolina with a resounding 24-1 win Friday night behind a school record 10 home runs.
Wichita State (29-13, 11-2) entered the weekend needing 10 home runs to tie the single season record, set just a season ago, and got 10 in the first game of the series. The Shockers hit an NCAA record seven in the top of the second inning. The previous NCAA record for home runs in a single inning was five, most recently set by Oklahoma vs. ECU on March 15, 2015.
Wichita State's 10 home runs tied the second most in NCAA history.
The Shockers also set school records for runs (24), hits (23) and total bases (57) to run their win streak to nine in a row. Wichita State's last five wins have all come via the mercy rule.
The nation's home run and RBI leader upped her season totals in a big way.
Addison Barnard went 4-for-4 with a double, three home runs and a career-high seven RBI. Her three home runs tied a single game school record and her seven RBI tied for the second most in school history. Barnard now has 29 home runs and 74 RBI this season and 51 career home runs.
Barnard extended her streak of consecutive games with a home run to six, meaning a home run on Saturday would make it seven, which would tie an NCAA record.
Zoe Jones also matched Barnard's seven RBI night after hitting a pair of home runs, finishing 3-for-5 at the plate. The NCAA leader in hits would not be left out.
Sydney McKinney went 3-for-4 with a double and four runs, giving her 252 career hits – the most in school history.
Lauren Lucas,
Neleigh Herring,
Wylie Glover and
Lauren Mills all added multi-hit games.
Erin McDonald improved to 8-7 in the circle, throwing 3.0 innings in the start.
Kenzie Schopfer finished the game in the circle, throwing 2.0 innings of relief. She allowed only one baserunner on a walk, while striking out another.
Wichita State jumped on ECU from the very first pitch of the game, as McKinney laced a leadoff double down the left field line. In stepped Barnard for her first at-bat and she delivered her first of three home runs. A bases loaded walk for Mills made it 3-0 after the first inning.
The second inning is when the floodgates opened. Wichita State crushed seven home runs in the frame to go with 12 hits and 13 runs. It's the second straight game Wichita State has scored 10 or more in a single inning.
Barnard's second home run, a three-run shot, began the homer parade. Two batters later Jones hit the first of her two home runs in the inning. Herring would go back-to-back to make it 9-0. Mills,
Lainee Brown and Glover would then go back-to-back-to-back. After McKinney and Barnard reached base, Jones smoked her second of the inning over the wall in left to make it 16-0.
In the third, Mills belted her second of the game and Barnard roped a two-run missile down the left field line for No. 3.
ECU broke up the shutout with a solo home run in the bottom of the third.
Krystin Nelson drove in the Shockers' lone run in the fourth on an infield single. Jones continued her stellar night with a two-run double in the fifth and Nelson capped the night with a two-run groundout.
Up Next
Wichita State and East Carolina continue the weekend series on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
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