STILLWATER, Okla. – No. 21 Wichita State rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Nebraska, 6-5, in the opening game of the NCAA Stillwater Regional Friday night.
Wichita State (44-10) advances to the winner's bracket and will face No. 6 Oklahoma State Saturday at 2 p.m. The Shockers improved to 3-0 against the Huskers this season.
At the stroke of midnight Wichita State completed one of its biggest comebacks in school history, considering the stakes. The Shockers scored all six of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings after being held in check most of the night at the plate.
Sydney McKinney went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Her two hits move her season total to 99, a new single season school record. She has now set the single season mark three different times.
Zoe Jones kick-started the comeback with her two-run single.
Lauren Lucas delivered the go-ahead RBI on her lone hit of the game.
Bailey Urban was 1-for-1 in her lone at bat to go with a crucial RBI.
Taylor Sedlacek singled and
Addison Barnard singled twice.
Lauren Howell got the start in the circle, throwing only 2.0 innings. The Huskers had her numbers, scoring four runs on two hits and two walks.
Alex Aguilar was superb out of the bullpen, recording the win, her 15th of the season. She allowed seven hits, but gave up only one run, escaping out of jams at key moments.
Nebraska stranded nine runners on base, including bases loaded twice.
A leadoff double to open the game immediately paid off for the Huskers. With two outs, Mya Felder launched a two-run home run to center, putting Nebraska on top, 2-0.
Nebraska upped its lead to 5-0 in the top of the third on a two-run single and fielder's choice.
Wichita State found life in the bottom of the fifth when Jones delivered a big two-out, two-run single off the wall in center. Jones missed a grand slam by just a few feet but at least gave the Shockers some life.
In the bottom of the sixth, Wichita State picked up where it left off in the fifth. Nebraska's second error of the night proved costly again, as
Sami Hood reached to lead off the frame. She then moved to second on a wild pitch and then Sedlacek followed with a single through the left side.
Pinch-hitting for
Lainee Brown, Urban laced a single back up the middle to score Hood, cutting the deficit to 5-3. Another wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and
Krystin Nelson delivered with a sac fly to make it 5-4.
With a runner on second, McKinney stepped in a drilled a double into the left-center gap to tie the game at 5-5. Following a Barnard walk, Lucas did what she does best, drive in runs. Her team-leading and career-best 60th RBI of the season came on a bouncing single up the middle, marking Wichita State's sixth unanswered run.
Nebraska would not go quietly in the top of the seventh. A walk and single had Nebraska in business with no outs. Aguilar would retire the first Husker on an infield pop-up. The next hitter dropped a blooping single into center field, loading the bases with only one out. Aguilar then induced a huge grounder to second where Hood fired home to get the lead runner by inches to keep the lead intact. Nebraska's final hopes were cut short when Caitlynn Neal popped up to short for the final out.
