WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State defeated South Dakota State 12-5 and 3-1 in a doubleheader sweep Tuesday at Wilkins Stadium.
 
The Shockers (16-10, 4-2) extended their winning streak to five games with the sweep of South Dakota State (15-19, 0-0).
 
Wichita State 12, South Dakota State 5
 
In the top of the first, South Dakota State jumped on Shocker starter Ryley Nihart right away, as the second batter of the game hit a solo home run to open the scoring.
 
The Jackrabbits found more success at the plate in the second, hitting a three-run home run to take a 4-0 lead.
 
In the bottom half, Johnna Schroeder got the Shockers on the board with an opposite-field solo home run to cut the deficit to 4-1.
 
South Dakota State answered with another home run — a second solo shot to left-center — to push its lead back to four at 5-1.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Chloe Rhine drove in a run with an RBI single, and Mackenzie Rooney followed with a triple to score Rhine to make it 5-3. After Trinity Allen lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Rooney, Ausha Moore tied the game at 5-5 with a solo home run to right field.
 
The Shockers blew the game open in the fifth, scoring seven runs. Jodie Epperson started the surge with a three-run home run to break the tie. Wichita State followed with a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk before Moore launched a grand slam to right field to make it 12-5.
 
Neither team scored the rest of the way. Gabby Fakes came on in relief and set down the Jackrabbits with relative ease over the final two innings to seal the win.
 
Fakes (3-1) was excellent in relief, tossing four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit with no walks.
 
Moore led the Shockers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two home runs. Epperson, Schroeder and Scott each added two hits.
 
Wichita State 3, South Dakota State 1
 
Neither team scored in the first inning, but the Shockers broke through in the second when Allen singled home Epperson. Moore followed with an RBI single to score Rhine and give Wichita State an early lead.

Starter Ava Sliger posted five scoreless innings and was matched by her South Dakota State counterpart, keeping the score at 2-0.
 
The Jackrabbits scored their first run in the sixth, taking advantage of an error to make it a one-run game.
 
In the bottom half, Epperson hit her second home run of the day — a solo shot to left-center — to restore a two-run cushion.
 
Sliger closed out the game, working around a one-out single and recording the final two outs on pop-outs.
 
Sliger (4-0) remained unbeaten with a complete-game performance, allowing one unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts.
 
Up Next
Wichita State opens its conference series against Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. Friday at Wilkins Stadium.