WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State needed only 5 innings to dispatch of East Carolina in the series opener Friday night at Wilkins Stadium, run-ruling the Pirates, 11-2.

Wichita State (20-18-1, 8-7-1) now owns an 18-3 mark all-time against the Pirates with wins in each of the last 11 meetings. Wichita State needed only an hour and 24 minutes to wrap up the Friday night win.

Lauren Lucas recorded her first career multi-home run game with two home runs and five RBIs. Ellee Eck scored three times to go with a pair of hits and an RBI. Camryn Compton went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Gabby Scott drove in two on a single.

Ryley Nihart (6-4) was solid in the circle, earning a complete game win. She allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. The lone blemish came on a two-out, two-run home run in the third inning.

Wichita State's bats went right to work in the bottom of the first. A two-run single through the right side off the bat of Compton gave Wichita State and Nihart an early 2-0 lead.

In the second, Lucas hit the first of her two home runs, a deep three-run shot over the wall in left-center with two outs.

East Carolina cut into the 5-0 lead in the top of the third on a two-out, two-run home run from Emma Jackson, the conference leader in home runs with 14.

Looking to get those runs back in the home half of the third, Wichita State did that plus more. Scott pushed the margin to 7-2 on a two-run single off the wall in right-center. The Shockers then made it 9-2 on a Krystin Nelson RBI fielder's choice and Eck RBI single up the middle. The big blow came in the very next batter as Lucas smoked a two-run shot into the right field bleachers to make it 11-2.

Up Next
Wichita State and East Carolina continue the series Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.