WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State split its doubleheader in the Shocker Invitational on Saturday at Wilkins Stadium, beating South Dakota State in walk-off fashion, 5-4, and losing to No. 18/16 Nebraska, 15-0, in five innings.
 
South Dakota State 4, Wichita State 5
 
After no score in the first, Wichita State opened the scoring for the first time in the Shocker Invitational as Ellee Eck drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Shockers a 1-0 lead. The Jackrabbits responded almost immediately, hitting a solo homer to left to tie the game up 1-1.
 
In the bottom of the third, Catelyn Beckerley delivered an RBI double to left-center that scored Taylor Sedlacek and put the Shockers up 2-1.
 
SDSU answered again right after, scoring a run on an RBI double of its own, tying the game 2-2.
 
In the bottom of the inning, the Shockers struck again when Lauren Lucas drove in two runs on a base hit up the middle, giving the Shockers a 4-2 lead through four frames. 
 
In the fifth, a response by the Jacks seemed imminent, as they loaded the bases with only one out, but freshman Ava Sliger escaped the jam unscathed, hanging a zero and keeping Wichita State up 4-2.
 
SDSU threatened again in the sixth, but Sliger hung another zero to keep the Shockers up by two.
 
In the seventh, Sliger was not as fortunate, as SDSU tied the game with a two-run homer to left-center, forcing an extra frame.
 
Though the Jackrabbits extended the game, it didn't take long for the Shockers to strike, as Jodie Epperson drove in Sedlacek with an RBI double to win the game for the Shockers in walk-off fashion, 5-4.
 
Sliger recorded the win, improving to 2-0 in her freshman season.
 
At the plate, a 2-for-4 day from Lucas led the Shockers in the hit column, while Eck was a fantastic 1-for-1 with two walks. Epperson was 1-for-4 with the heroic base hit.
 
No. 18/16 Nebraska 15, Wichita State 0 (5)
 
The Cornhuskers opened the scoring in the nightcap with an unearned run that came home on a throwing error with two outs in the top of the second. 
 
In the third, the Huskers doubled the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single, but Krystin Nelson sparked a 5-3 double play to end the inning, holding the Huskers to just the one run.
 
After the Shockers went scoreless in the third, Nebraska got the bats rolling in the fourth, scoring 12 runs on eight hits in the inning, taking a 14-0 lead.
 
The Huskers added one in the fifth to make it 15-0 before the game ended by run rule in five innings.
 
Sedlacek recorded the only hit of the evening for Wichita State, a double in the first inning. 
 
Ryley Nihart, in spite of a strong performance, was credited with the loss. The freshman tossed an excellent 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on one hit with two strikeouts.
 
Next Up
The Shockers wrap up play in the Shocker Invitational with a game on Sunday against South Dakota State at 1:30 PM at Wilkins Stadium.