WICHITA, Kan. – South Florida evened the series with Wichita State on Saturday behind an 11-4 win at Wilkins Stadium.

Wichita State (17-17, 5-6) committed four errors and the pitching staff issued six walks and another three hit by pitch.

Ava Sliger (4-4) got the start and went 4.0 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on four hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Chloe Barber threw 3.0 innings in relief surrendering five runs on six hits and three walks.

Ellee Eck provided most of the offensive output at the plate, going 2-for-3 with her first career multi-home run game. She homered twice and drove in three of the team's four runs. Sami Hood hit her sixth home run of the season, a solo home run in the fifth.

Lauren Lucas extended her hit streak to 15 with a 1-for-3 day at the plate.

South Florida wasted no time putting runs on the board in the top of the first. Two Wichita State errors, two walks and a three-run home run put the Bulls on top, 4-0.

An RBI single in the second made it 5-0 in favor of South Florida.

Eck put the Shockers on the board in the bottom of the third behind the first of two home runs on a solo shot into the right field bleachers.

After a scoreless fourth, South Florida made it 7-1 in the top of the fifth on an RBI double and RBI infield single. The Wichita State bats finally woke up in the home half of the fifth on Hood's solo homer and Eck's two-run laser, cutting the South Florida lead to 7-4.

South Florida brought another home in the top of the sixth to make it 8-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Wichita State had two runners on with two outs and Eck at the plate. The Andale native hit a deep drive to center only to see South Florida's center fielder, Alexa Galligani, jump up and rob a would-be home run. Instead of Wichita State cutting it to 8-7, South Florida escaped with its four-run lead intact heading to the seventh.

The Bulls tacked on three more for good measure in the top of the seventh on a two-run home run and a Wichita State throwing error.

Up Next
Wichita State and South Florida close out the series Sunday at Noon on ESPN+.