WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State scored three runs in the fourth inning and got a strong start from Grant Adler Saturday afternoon to top Missouri State 4-2 in game two of the weekend series at Eck Stadium.
The Shockers (5-9) loaded the bases with no outs in the decisive fourth and scored on two ground outs and a bunt single for a 3-0 lead.
Adler held MoState (5-8) off the scoreboard until sixth, when Caden Bogenpohl singled to extend his reached base streak to 26 games and scored on a Taeg Gollert double for a 3-1 deficit. Adler (1-0) went seven innings and struck out 10 without walking a batter.
MSU freshman right-hander Owen Slater, who relieved starter Jackson Holmes with two outs in the fourth, retired all 10 batters he faced to keep the Bears in it, and combined with three other MSU bullpen arms for 4.1 innings of hitless relief.
The Bears’ Logan Dunn drew a leadoff walk in the eighth and scored on a Bogenpohl single for 3-2, but the Shockers countered with an insurance tally in the bottom of the inning. WSU reached on a dropped third strike and worked around the bases on a pickoff error, fly out and wild pitch for the 4-2 final score.
MoState held the Shockers to only four hits in the contest, while the top three in the Bears’ order – Bogenpohl, Gollert and Jake McCutcheon – had two hits each for the MSU offensive output.
The series concludes at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
