Softball falls in its Texas Invitational nightcap to Wichita State, 7-5

Friday, February 23

Austin, Texas

8:30 p.m.

University of Texas

5-6

Wichita State

6-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Wichita State	0	0	2	3	2	0	0	7	8	1
Texas	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	5	7	0

Softball falls in its Texas Invitational nightcap to Wichita State, 7-5

02.24.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Junior Ciera Schick (two) and freshman MK Tedder combined to knock in three of Texas’ runs

AUSTIN, Texas – Trailing 4-0 in the top of the third on Friday night in Texas Invitational action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, Wichita State (6-5) put up two runs in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the fifth to rally past Texas softball (5-6) in both teams' nightcap, 7-5.

Junior pinch hitter Ciera Schick led the UT offense by going 1-for-2 with two RBIs, and freshman third baseman MK Tedder doubled and knocked in a run as part of a 1-for-2, run-scored effort. Sophomore center fielder Tuesday DerMargosian went 2-for-3 with a tally, while sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack (1-for-2, walk), senior first baseman Paige von Sprecken (1-for-3, run, double) and sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth (1-for-3) each recorded one of Texas' seven total hits.

In the circle for the Horns, freshman Chloe Romero (0-2) suffered the loss in relief, allowing two earned runs on two hits with a walk in two-thirds of a frame. Redshirt junior Erica Wright started the contest and gave up five earned runs on five hits with four walks and three K's in 3.2 innings. In relief, von Sprecken struck out three and permitted just one base knock over 2.2 innings.

Texas mounted its first serious threat against Wichita State starter Bailey Lange during the second as a Tedder walk and a Slack single to right center stationed Longhorns on the corners with one out. With catcher Randel Leahy at the plate, Lange uncorked a wild pitch to the back stop allowing Tedder the opportunity to scamper home from 60 feet away and make it 1-0. The Burnt Orange & White soon loaded the bases as Leahy was hit by a pitch and DerMargosian slapped a single to left. The UT offense erupted from there as pinch hitter Schick drove a two-RBI single through the right side and then a Lange wild pitch scored another as the Longhorns boosted their advantage to 4-0.

Wichita State answered right back in the third by stringing together a two-out rally on the strength of singles from left fielder Morgan Palmer and first baseman Ryleigh Buck and a Bailee Nickerson walk. With the bags loaded, clean-up hitter Laurie Derrico stepped into the box and launched a two-RBI double off the wall in center to cut the Shocker deficit in half at 4-2.

Third-inning doubles from von Sprecken and Tedder combined for another Texas run as the Longhorns quickly boosted their lead back to three runs at 5-2.

A Caitlin Bingham lead-off single and consecutive walks to Asea Webber and Bailey Klitzke packed the bases full again for the Shockers with none out in the top of the fourth. Wright tried to dance her way out of major trouble and got close to escaping the jam by inducing consecutive pop-ups before Buck cleared the bags on a three-run double to left center as Wichita State knotted the contest at 5-5.

WSU eventually grabbed the lead in the fifth off Romero as a lead-off Madison Perrigan triple was quickly cashed in via a Webber RBI single to make it 6-5 Shockers. The advantage grew even more against another reliever in von Sprecken as Palmer slapped a base hit just over short to plate Wichita State's seventh tally.

Texas managed to bring the potential tying run to the plate during both the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't string enough together to rally against winning pitcher Bailey Klitzke as WSU prevailed.