Wichita State Athletics

TAMPA, Fla. – Wichita State coughed up a two-run lead in the ninth inning but came back with three runs in the 10^th to claim an 8-5 win over South Florida on Saturday afternoon at USF Baseball Stadium.
 
With the win, the Shockers (28-27, 12-15) earn the #7 seed in the American Conference Championship beginning next week at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. Wichita State will take on #6 seed Florida Atlantic at 12:00 pm CT in a single-elimination contest; if the Shockers win, they will advance to the double-elimination portion of the bracket against #3 seed Rice on Thursday.
 
It was a back-and-forth battle from the first inning on, as the Shockers and Bulls (32-21, 11-16) traded two-run homers to open the game. WSU's Jayson Jones hammered a two-run shot to center in the top of the first and USF's Nathan Earley answered with one of his own in the bottom of the inning for a 2-2 game.
 
Owen Washburn uncorked a long solo home run leading off the top of the fourth for a 3-2 edge, but again South Florida responded immediately with a two-out RBI single from Bradke Lohry to level the ledger at 3-3.
 
That was the last baserunner allowed by WSU starter Johnny Nuanez, who retired the final 10 hitters he faced to complete seven strong innings of work. The right-hander struck out six and did not walk a batter.
 
The Shockers gave Nuanez the lead back when Jaden Gustafson slapped an RBI single in the top of the fifth to score Zeb Henry, who led off the inning by reaching on an error. Gustafson repeated the feat in the top of the ninth, this time with a two-out RBI single for a 5-3 lead with just three outs left to get.
 
The Bulls rallied, however, putting two men aboard with one out on a pair of singles. Jacob Green then rammed a double to the gap in left-center, scoring both runners to tie the game at 5-5. Heitaro Hayashi was able to get the Shockers to extra innings, stranding the winning run in scoring position on a ground out and a pop out.
 
In the 10^th, Kaleb Duncan started the decisive rally with a one-out single. Nolan Ganter followed with a single of his own, sending Duncan over to third. On the ensuing pitch, Alex Ulloa's squeeze bunt back to the mound drew an errant throw from USF lefty Edwin Alicea (6-5), scoring Duncan with the go-ahead run.
 
After a strikeout, it appeared the Shockers would have to settle for just the one run when Ethan Gonzalez hit a routine fly ball to right field. But Green lost it in the sun, dropping what would have been the third out and instead allowing both Ganter and Ulloa to score for an 8-5 cushion.
 
Hayashi (2-1) worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10^th on just eight pitches to close out the win.
 
Four Shockers finished with two hits as part of a 12-hit attack: Gustafson, Jones, Washburn and Ganter.