Spring cleaning: Wichita State softball and baseball teams both sweep weekend series
Before this past weekend, Taylor Sedlacek was mired in a sophomore slump.
In the previous nine days, Sedlacek was just 2-for-22 at the plate and the Shockers had lost six of those seven games.
It’s no coincidence WSU broke out of its funk when Sedlacek did, as the sophomore outfielder from Bennington, Neb. homered in all three games, finished 6-for-8 at the plate with nine RBIs to lead a three-game road sweep of East Carolina.
Sedlacek’s grand slam in the first inning was all WSU needed to hold on for a 4-1 win in the opener, as Alex Aguilar improved to 4-2 this season in the circle with six strong innings.
Sedlacek added another first-inning homer, this time a three-run shot, in the second game, while Addison Barnard hit her 78th career home run and Caroline Tallent added two RBIs in a 6-5 victory.
WSU run-ruled ECU in the finale, a 9-1 victory in five innings, as Sedlacek and freshman Sophie Johnson hit home runs. CC Wong added three hits and two RBIs, while Jessica Garcia added a two-RBI double.
After last weekend’s disappointing series loss to Florida Atlantic at home, followed by two straight mid-week losses to Kansas, taking three on the road from an ECU team that entered with a 21-5 record and a top-100 RPI was much-needed for the Shockers.
WSU improved to 13-10 overall and 4-2 in American Athletic Conference, which is one game back from four teams tied atop the standings with one loss each: FAU, Tulsa, Charlotte and North Texas. The Shockers return home to host UTSA (9-21, 1-5 AAC) for a series at Wilkins Stadium, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.
Shocker baseball pulls off home sweep of Gonzaga
The WSU baseball team is putting the finishing touches on what has been a strong performance for the bulk of its non-conference slate.
The Shockers recently wrapped up a stretch of playing eight games in 10 days with a 6-2 record, which included a series win over Long Beach State (their first since 2009), a split with Nebraska (ranked No. 3 in RPI) and a three-game sweep of Gonzaga this past weekend.
WSU faced an early deficit in all three games against Gonzaga (3-14, No. 258 in RPI) but rallied to win each time.
Jordan Rogers finished 4-for-4 at the plate with five RBIs to spearhead a 10-6 victory this past Friday, as Caden Favors improved to 4-0 this season with an earned-run average of 1.83 and 39 strikeouts in 34-plus innings.
It was a somewhat sloppy pitching performance in the second game, a 10-5 victory, as five pitchers combined for 12 walks and three hit batters, but the offense was enough from a three-RBI performance by Dayvin Johnson and another crushed home run by Seth Stroh, his fourth of the season.
Gonzaga led 3-0 entering the sixth inning of Sunday’s finale, but freshman Gannon Snyder tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning and Rogers delivered the game-winning RBI double in the eighth. Freshman Tommy LaPour threw five strong innings, allowing just one earned run, then four relievers combined to shut out Gonzaga with Caleb Anderson earning the win in two innings of work.
WSU (13-6) will host Kansas State (13-6) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Eck Stadium, before opening up American Athletic Conference play this upcoming weekend with a road series at UAB (10-9, RPI of 110) beginning with a 5 p.m. first pitch on Friday.
