WICHITA, Kan. (GoShockers.com) — Wichita State hit a pair of solo home runs in the eighth to tie the game and got a two-out RBI single from Mauricio Millan in the ninth to win it, as the Shockers rallied for a 7-6 win over Kansas on Wednesday night at Eck Stadium.
The Shockers (19-10) trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the eighth after Kansas (15-11) scored a pair of runs in the top of the inning to take the lead. Seth Stroh immediately pulled a run back with a solo home run on the first pitch of the inning that made it 6-5, then Camden Johnson leveled the ledger with his first career homer on a towering fly ball to right.
Nate Adler (1-0) struck out the side in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for a potential walk-off. Kansas called upon their closer Hunter Cranton, who entered the game with a 0.00 ERA. Jordan Rogers greeted him with a single to right-center, then moved to second on a successful sacrifice bunt from Jaden Gustafson. A strikeout left it up to Millan, who rifled the first pitch from Cranton (2-1) into center for the game-winner.
It is Wichita State’s first walk-off win of the 2024 season.
The game featured three squandered multi-run leads. Kansas scored single runs in the first and third to take an early 2-0 advantage, but the Shockers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the third and three in the bottom of the fifth. A two-base throwing error from Kansas reliever Sam Ireland brought home Dayvin Johnson to tie the game at 2-2, then Millan gave WSU the lead with an RBI ground out. Stroh made it 4-2 with a two-out RBI single.
The Jayhawks quickly fired back with two runs of their own in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4 and moved in front in the eighth on run-scoring hits from John Nett and Kodey Shojinaga against Adler.
Wichita State starter Brady Hamilton turned in a strong start, working five innings while allowing four hits and three runs. The right-hander struck out five and walked three in a no-decision. Caleb Anderson, Jack Mount, Hunter Holmes, Matt Wilkinson and Adler followed out of the Shocker bullpen. Kansas utilized eight different pitchers on the evening.
The Shockers return to conference play with a three-game series on the road at South Florida. First pitch of Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 5:30 pm CT.
