ARLINGTON, Texas — Wichita State defeated both South Dakota (7-2) and UT Arlington (6-0) on the first day of the Boerner Invitational on Friday at Allan Saxe Field.
 
The Shockers (5-5) allowed just two total runs combined to South Dakota (2-9) and UT Arlington (4-6), with starters Ava Sliger and Ryley Nihart tossing complete games.
 
Wichita State 7, South Dakota 2
 
It was a calm start as neither side scored through the first three innings, with the Shockers being held hitless.
 
Brookelyn Livanec opened both the hit and scoring columns with an RBI triple in the top of the fourth that scored Ausha Moore. Later in the inning, Jodie Epperson added an RBI single, and Mackenzie Rooney was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Shockers a 3-0 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Kinzey Woody ripped a double off the wall in right field to drive in Livanec, making it 4-0.
 
After another scoreless inning from Sliger, Catelyn Beckerley led off the top of the sixth with a pinch-hit solo home run to increase the lead to 5-0.
 
In the seventh, pinch-hitter Morgan Lloyd delivered a two-out, two-run single through the infield to push the advantage to 7-0.
 
South Dakota threatened in the bottom half, scoring its first two runs of the game, but Gabby Scott threw out a runner at third attempting to advance for the final out.
 
Sliger (2-0) tossed her second complete game of the season. The sophomore allowed one earned run on nine hits and struck out three.
 
Woody and Epperson had two hits apiece to lead the Shockers, with Woody going 2-for-2 with two walks.
 
Wichita State 6, UT Arlington 0
 
The Shockers got on the board quickly against the Mavericks, scoring in the top of the second when Chloe Rhine doubled in Livanec.
 
In the fourth, Rooney added an RBI single, and Moore made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly that scored Rhine.

Moore added to her big day with the first home run of her Shocker career, a solo shot to left field to make it 4-0. After Scott walked, Johnna Schroeder blasted a two-run home run — her first as a Shocker — to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
Nihart completed the shutout, recording the final six outs to secure the win.
 
Nihart (2-2) threw the Shockers' second complete game of the day. She allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six.
 
Schroeder, Epperson and Rooney each recorded two hits. Epperson totaled four hits on the day across both games.
 
Up next
Wichita State plays a doubleheader against Creighton on the second day of the Boerner Invitational at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. CT at Allan Saxe Field.