Box score
WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State scored four runs in the first inning and added three in the eighth to defeat University of South Alabama baseball 9-4 Wednesday at Eck Stadium.
South Alabama (10-15) scored four runs on seven hits, led by Nick Zaharion who went 2-for-5 with one RBI. Hunt Griffith went 2-for-4 with a double and one run scored, and Whitt Dorsey added a double, one RBI and a run scored.
Wichita State right-hander Tobin Mateychick (2-0) earned the win in four innings pitched, allowing one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Cale Elam tossed two shutout innings, and allowed two hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks to earn his sixth save of the season.
Andrew Fonzi (0-3) took the loss in 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits.
South Alabama loaded the bases in the top of the first on a leadoff walk by Nolan Earley, hit by pitch to Griffith and single to right field by Jordan Patterson. Mateychick then threw away a pickoff attempt at first base that allowed Earley and Griffith to score, and moved Patterson to third. Dorsey then delivered a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Patterson for a 3-0 Jaguar lead.
The Shockers cut the USA lead to 3-1 when Taylor Doggett led off the bottom of the first with a double to right field, and later scored on an RBI single by Johnny Coy. Micah Green drove in the Shockers’ second run of the frame on an RBI double to left field. Tyler Coughenour followed with a two-run single up the middle of the infield to give WSU a 4-3 lead.
Coy increased the WSU lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out solo homer to center field. The Shockers added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Doggett led off the inning with an infield single and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Coy to double their lead to 6-3.
The Jags cut the WSU lead to 6-4 in the top of the fifth when Dorsey hit a two-out double into the right-center field gap, and later scored on Zaharion’s RBI single through the middle of the infield.
WSU increased its lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dayne Parker to score Tyler Baker, who singled to lead off the inning. Later in the frame, Gillaspie delivered a two-run triple to left field to give the Shockers a 9-4 lead.
The loss snapped South Alabama’s season-best four-game win streak.
Doggett went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored to lead the Shockers at the plate. Coy finished 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored. Gillaspie and Coughenour drove in two runs apiece.
South Alabama will return to action this weekend when it hosts Middle Tennessee in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Stanky Field, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
-USA-
NOTES: Patterson and Zaharion each extended their on-base streaks to 22 games … Zaharion extended his hitting streak to nine games … Bailey tossed a season-high 4 2/3 innings with a season-best three strikeouts … The Jags fell to 6-9 all-time against Wichita State.
