WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita State and Tulane split a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Eck Stadium, with Wichita State winning the opener 6-3 in seven innings and the Green Wave claiming the second game, 10-4.
Game One
The Shockers got an excellent start from
Caden Favors (6-4), who pitched into the seventh inning while allowing just two hits. The southpaw retired the first nine Tulane hitters, during which time Wichita State was able to build a 5-0 lead.
Jordan Rogers slammed a solo home run in the bottom of the first to open the scoring, then WSU struck for four runs in the third.
Mauricio Millan made it 2-0 with an RBI ground out and
Josh Livingston followed with a two-out, three-run homer to left-center to blow the game open against Tulane starter Chandler Welch (5-2).
The Green Wave cut into the lead with an RBI single from Teo Banks in the fourth, but Favors responded with consecutive scoreless innings to keep the lead at 5-1.
Lane Haworth added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a run-scoring single, stretching the advantage to 6-1.
That insurance proved crucial as Tulane used two walks and two singles to pull within 6-3 with the tying run at the plate in the form of Brady Marget.
Hunter Holmes was summoned from the Wichita State bullpen and retired Marget on a chopper to
Kam Durnin at shortstop to nail down his second save of the season.
Game Two
Rogers once again put the Shockers on top with an early homer, launching a two-run shot in the bottom of the third to give WSU the game's first lead at 2-0. But Tulane responded with four runs of their own in the top of the fourth, highlighted by a two-out, three-run homer from Banks that put the Green Wave on top, 4-2.
Tulane added two runs in the sixth and another in the eighth to lengthen the advantage to 7-2.
The Shockers had a chance to make things interesting in the bottom of the eighth, getting an RBI single from Livingston and a run-scoring double from
Camden Johnson to trim the deficit to 7-4 with runners at second and third and nobody out. Tulane closer Jacob Moore was able to retire the next three hitters without a run scoring, then pitched around three more baserunners in the ninth to secure his fifth save.
Wichita State stranded 13 baserunners in the contest.
Tulane reliever Michael Lombardi (3-3) earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings out of the Green Wave bullpen, while WSU starter
Tommy LaPour (3-2) took the loss, allowing six hits and six runs over five-plus innings.
The Shockers (22-23, 8-10) hit the road for a pair of midweek games this week, beginning Tuesday at Oklahoma State. First pitch from Stillwater is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
