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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The nationally-ranked Wichita State Shockers took advantage of six Evansville errors and launched three home runs Friday night to win the series opener of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series at UE’s Charles H. Braun Stadium by a score of 15-8.
Wichita State, ranked as high as 10th nationally in the various collegiate baseball polls, scored nine runs (two earned) in the first two innings against UE freshman starter Zach Taylor (2-5), as the Purple Aces committed five errors behind him in the first two frames. Second baseman Josh Workman would cap the early-inning offense by the Shockers with a two-run home run to right field, his third of the year, to give WSU a 9-0 lead after two innings.
Evansville would answer back with a pair of unearned runs off of Wichita State starter Rob Musgrave (8-1) in the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 9-2. After a solo home run by third baseman Conor Gillaspie in the top of the sixth inning pushed the lead to 10-2, Evansville would once again strike for three unearned runs off of Musgrave in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the WSU lead to 10-5.
That would be as close as Evansville would come though, as Wichita State added four more runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a towering three-run home run down the right-field line by lead-off man Andy Dirks, his ninth of the year, to take a 14-5 lead.
The teams would trade single runs in the eighth inning, before Evansville would cap the scoring with a two-run single off of the bat of junior first baseman Derek Melton, which kept his hitting streak alive at eight games. Reliever Matt Smith would induce a line-out and a ground out to close the game out though, and give the Shockers the 15-8 victory.
Dirks ignited the Wichita State attack at the top of the order by going 2-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Designated hitter Clinton McKeever also added three base hits, while Gillaspie and outfielder Mitch Caster added two hits apiece.
Melton drove in two runs for Evansville, while freshmen Shawn Kuester and Greg Wallace and junior third baseman Peter Tountas added two hits as well.
Musgrave earned the victory on the mound by scattering five unearned runs on seven base hits in 5.2 innings of work. Taylor suffered the loss, giving up nine runs (two earned) on seven hits in four innings on the mound.
With the victory, Wichita State improves to 37-13 overall and 15-4 in the MVC. Evansville, meanwhile, slips to 13-37 overall and 3-16 in the Valley. The two teams will continue the series on Saturday afternoon at 2:07 p.m., as UE junior RHP John Foley (4-4, 4.84 ERA) will battle WSU junior RHP Aaron Shafer (8-2, 2.63 ERA) on the mound. Saturday’s game can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.
