CLEARWATER, Fla. – A seventh-inning rally for the Wichita State softball team wasn't enough as they lost in walk-off fashion to San Diego State, 4-3, on Friday evening at Eddie C. Moore Complex.
 
The Shockers have now dropped their first three games of the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.
 
In the top of the first, the Shockers worked the bases loaded via a single, an SDSU error and a hit by pitch but were unable to bring anybody home in the opening frame.
 
After no score through the first two innings, Taylor Sedlacek broke through with a no-doubt, solo home run to left-center to open the scoring and give WSU a 1-0 lead.
 
Wichita State starter Chloe Barber kept the Aztec batters in check through the first four innings, only allowing one runner to move into scoring position in that time. 
 
The Aztecs finally broke through against the Lino Lakes, Minn., native in the bottom of the fifth, dragging a run across with a two-out infield single to tie the game at 1-1.
 
An inning later, SDSU took its first lead of the game by ripping an RBI double down the right field line to take a 2-1 lead. The Aztecs went on to double the lead to 3-1 with an RBI single, meaning the Shockers would need two runs in the top of the seventh to extend the game.
 
In the seventh, the Shockers would strike, scoring two runs in a hurry to tie the game at 3-3. With runners at the corners, Lauren Lucas snuck on base via an error, allowing Krystin Nelson to run home, making it 3-2. Then, Jodie Epperson played hero ball in the seventh, smashing an RBI double to right-center, bringing Ellee Eck home to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Despite the rally from WSU, SDSU would fire off three straight singles in the bottom of the seventh, bringing in the winning run to take the win on a walk-off, 4-3.
 
Barber (2-2) threw the complete 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
 
Eck was 2-for-2 to lead the Shockers at the plate. Five other Shockers recorded a hit, but eight runners left on base came back to haunt them.
 
Next Up
The Shockers play their final two games in Clearwater on Saturday, the first against the Liberty Flames at 2:00 PM CT and the second against #8/9 Florida State at 7:00 PM CT.