WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State twice trimmed a seven-run deficit down to one but could never fully erase the margin, falling to UAB 11-9 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Eck Stadium.
The Shockers (10-17, 3-3) even had the potential winning run on base in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out against UAB reliever Braxton Shelton. But Shelton struck out Jordan Black for the first out and then got Gannon Snyder to hit a hard comebacker which resulted in a game-ending 1-2-3 double play for Shelton’s second save of the season.
Wichita State dug themselves an early hole by allowing seven runs over the first two innings. Two WSU errors contributed to three unearned runs during the barrage against Shockers starter Brady Hamilton (1-3), who settled down to work through the third and fourth innings with no damage.
The Shockers began to chip away in the third. Mauricio Millan ripped his first career triple down the left field line, scoring two to get WSU on the board. Josh Livingston singled him home and Jordan Rogers kicked off a huge day offensively with a run-scoring double, inching the Shockers within 7-4.
Rogers then homered in the bottom of the sixth, an opposite-field bullet that scraped over the wall in right to trim the UAB lead to 7-6.
UAB (16-12, 2-4) restored some semblance of order with a two-run homer from Camden Hayslip in the top of the seventh, but the Shockers got the two runs right back in the bottom of the inning on a Blazers throwing error and Rogers RBI single.
Once again UAB pushed the advantage out to three in the top of the ninth, scoring twice via a Gavin Lewis Jr. RBI triple followed by a squeeze bunt. The Shockers made one last surge in the bottom of the ninth, putting their first four runners on including a Rogers RBI single, but Shelton escaped the jam to salvage the series finale.
Rogers finished with four hits and five RBI while Hayslip drove in four to lead UAB. Brendan Conner (1-1) picked up the win in relief, allowing two earned runs over three innings.
The Shockers are back in action on Wednesday night against Kansas State. First pitch from Eck Stadium is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT.
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