The Wichita State baseball team took advantage of a season-high four errors by Illinois State tonight in defeating the Redbirds, 9-5, in Missouri Valley Conference baseball action at Eck Stadium-Home of Tyler Field. The two Valley rivals combined for 14 runs and 18 hits.
WSU sophomore starting pitcher Justin Maureau got off to a rocky start against the Redbirds. After getting the first two outs of the inning, a groundout to second and a strikeout, ISU senior Ed Tolzien laid down a bunt toward third and reached first safely and then reached second on a balk by Maureau. After walking Redbird senior Jared Dufault, ISU sophomore Mike Saunches reached first on an error by Shocker freshman first baseman Logan Sorensen who dropped a routine groundout and Tolzien came home from second base.
Wichita State (12-8; 4-1 Valley) put up a three-spot in the third inning thanks to three Redbird errors. Junior Tanner Welch led off with a single to left field and advanced to second after junior Justin McCarty reached first when he was hit by a pitch from ISU starting pitcher Neal Cotts. WSU's Burgamy stepped up and reached first when Redbird shortstop Jeremy Accardo was unable to field a routine grounder, scoring Welch. He advanced to second when ISU right fielder Jake Perganson overthrew third base. McCarty crossed the plate to give the Shockers their first lead of the night when sophomore Ryan Owen grounded out to shortstop. WSU increased its lead to 3-1 when senior Eric Absher reached first on an overthrow to first by sophomore third baseman Jon Peacock allowing Burgamy to score from third.
WSU added another run in the bottom of the fourth when McCarty singled home junior Kent Becker to give the Shockers a three-run cushion (4-1). But the lead was short-lived however, as Illinois State (7-8; 0-1 Valley) put up four runs in the top of the fifth inning to regain the lead, 5-4, Saunches' RBI single to right field. The Redbirds put up four runs on five hits that spelled the end of the evening for Shockers starting pitcher Maureau.
WSU struck back in the bottom half of the fifth, matching the Redbirds with four runs to retake the lead (8-5) highlighted by Sorensen's first RBI triple of his career. Freshman Brandon Green's sacrifice fly to right field turned out to be the game-winning hit scoring Walter from third.
Four Shockers had two hits each in the game led by junior designated hitter Kent Becker who went 2-for-2 at the plate. McCarty (2-for-3), Absher (2-for-4) and Burgamy (2-for-5), were the others.
WSU sophomore Mike Dennison came in relief of Maureau and picked up the win for the Shockers, improving to 3-0 for the season. Dennison allowed no runs in 4 1/3 innings of work, throwing a one-hitter and striking out four.
Illinois State's Cotts (2-1) took the loss for the Redbirds, allowing seven runs, four of which were earned, scattering seven hits and striking out a game-high seven batters over five innings. Saunches and Perganson accounted for half of ISU's eight hits in the game with Saunches going 2-for-4 with an RBI and Perganson getting two hits in five plate appearances.
With the win, WSU stretched its winning streak to 16 consecutive games over Illinois State that dates back to the 1995 season. The Shockers upped their lead in the all-time series to 57-12.
WSU, which has now won six of its last seven games, continues its four-game series with ISU on Friday, March 23, when the two conference rivals square off in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. The Shockers close out the four-game series with the Redbirds at 1 p.m., on Saturday, March 24. All games take place at Eck Stadium-Home of Tyler Field.
