Jack Sigrist hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth inning, and Ryan Stuempfig threw two hitless innings in relief, helping Wichita State baseball turn back the Houston Cougars, 3-2, in the series finale of a four-game American Athletic Conference series Saturday at Schroeder Park.
With the win, the Shockers (15-9, 3-1 American) take the series from the Cougars (13-14, 1-3 American), three games to one. It's the first series win over Houston since WSU joined The American in 2018.
With the game tied, 2-2, and two outs in the top of the ninth, Sigrist connected on a 0-1 pitch, smacking a single through the right side, allowing Seth Stroh to cross home plate and putting Wichita State in front, 3-2.
Houston attempted to rally in the bottom of the ninth after Cougar third baseman Brad Burckel reached on a one-out fielding error, but Ross Cadena threw out Burckel, who was attempting to steal second base, then Garrett Kocis hauled in a foul ball at first for the final out of the game, securing the victory for the Shockers.
Sigrist had what proved to be the game-winning hit, while Paxton Wallace went 2-for-3 at the plate and hit the game-tying homer, leading WSU offensively in the game.
Stuempfig earned the win to improve to a team-best 5-0 on the mound in 2021 after tossing two hitless innings in relief. Shocker starter Spencer Hynes didn't factor into the decision, but threw a season-best seven innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with one strikeout.
The Cougars scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to gain a 2-0 lead, before Wichita State trimmed the lead in half, making it 2-1 after Kocis worked a bases loaded walk in the third, plating Stroh.
Houston maintained its one-run edge until the top of the sixth when Wallace crushed a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a leadoff home run, knotting the game, 2-2. It was his second round-tripper of the series and sixth of the season.
Will Pendergrass drove in both of the Cougars' runs on a homer, pacing Houston at the plate in the contest.
Cougar reliever Derrick Cherry (1-2) suffered the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the ninth and allowing two hits with a strikeout and two walks in two innings.
Wichita State and Houston are scheduled to play a four-game conference series in Wichita April 9-11. The Shockers and Cougars are slated to play a split doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday, April 9, at Eck Stadium to open the series, before playing a 2 p.m. game at Riverfront Stadium in downtown Wichita Saturday, April 10, and wrapping up the series with an 11 a.m. contest back at Eck Stadium Sunday, April 11.
You can hear all of the play-by-play on 97.5 FM and 1240 AM KFH.
