WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita State broke open a close game late and hung on to defeat Washburn 14-11 on Tuesday afternoon at Eck Stadium.
The game was played as part of Kids Day at the ballpark, with just under 2,000 Wichita-area schoolchildren in attendance.
Win the win, Wichita State improved to 20-10 on the season. It is the fastest a Shocker team has reached the 20-win mark since the 2018 club began the year 20-6.
The Shockers racked up 14 hits in the game, getting the scoring started with a
Jack Quick two-out RBI single in the bottom half of the first inning. After Washburn (12-20) tied the game in the top of the second on a solo home run by Eli Dean, WSU pushed home three runs in the second on RBI singles from
Josh Wulfert and
Dominic Archila plus an RBI double from
Jaden Gustafson.
The Ichabods quickly tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third, taking advantage of a two-out error after loading the bases on three walks. The deadlock remained until the bottom of the fifth, when the Shockers surged back in front.
Owen Washburn came off the bench to lift a sacrifice fly to center, followed by an Archila run-scoring ground out. With two outs,
Alex Ulloa stole home for a 7-4 Wichita State lead.
Washburn sliced the deficit to one with single runs in the sixth and seventh, but the Shockers struck a decisive blow with a five-run bottom of the seventh. An error, two walks and a single from Archila plated one run, then Gustafson crushed a grand slam to right field for a 12-6 advantage.
Archila capped off his huge day with a two-run single in the eighth, finishing 3-for-5 with five RBI in his first career start.
Jayson Jones extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a sixth-inning double as part of a 2-for-5 day. Quick (3 hits), Gustafson (2), and
Jacob Gutierrez also added multi-hit games.
The Shockers needed the insurance, as Washburn mounted a rally in the top of the ninth. The Ichabods scored five times, three with two outs, and got the tying run to the on-deck circle before
Heitaro Hayashi fanned Jarrett Herrmann to end the game and record his first save of the season.
Reese Kortum (3-1) earned the win for WSU, allowing one earned run in 2.1 innings out of the Shockers bullpen. Braden Cork (0-3) took the loss for Washburn, conceding three runs in the fifth without recording an out.
The Shockers are back in action on Thursday night against Tulane. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:05 pm CT.
