Gillaspie, Baker power Shockers to win

Casey Gillaspie and Tyler Baker continued their hot hitting and Kris Gardner made a belated pitching debut Friday as Wichita State beat Western Illinois 11-3 in Little Rock.

The victory pulls WSU to 3-3 after an 0-3 start. Western Illinois fell to 2-5.

Gillaspie doubled and homered, and Baker homered. Gillaspie, who is 6 for 12 in his last three games, drove in three runs.

Baker, who is 5 for 12 in his last four games, has a .900 slugging average this season. Gillaspie and Baker have three homers each. Gillaspie has a slugging average of .913.

Back from illiness, Gardner went six innings, allowing six hits, to earn the victory. He threw 53 strikes in his 77 pitches.

Several Shockers got a chance to play with the blowout vicotry. Outfielder Micah Green, off to a 1 for 8 start, made the most of his chance, going 3 for 4 and driving in two runs.

Garrett Brummett, son of Shocker great Mike Brummett, threw two shutout innings, allowing one hit. Brummett was tagged for three runs in 2 2/3 innings in his debut against Pittsburgh.

The Shockers put the game out of reach with four-run innings in the first and third. Cody Bobbit was hit by a pitch and Tanner Dearman walked in the first. Gillaspie doubled both home with a shot to left-center. After Johnny Coy struck out, Baker walked, and Erik Harbutz fouled out. Green drove in Gillaspie with a single and Baker scored on a wild pitch.

Baker’s homer and Mikel Mucha’s run-scoring single highlighted the scoring in the third. The other two runs came as a result of a balk and an infield groundout.

WSU moves to Conway, Ark., today for a doubleheader with New Orleans (noon) and Central Arkansas (4 p.m.).

E — Stafford, Maki, Bobbit, Harbutz. LOB — W. Ill. 9, WSU 10. 2B — Henning (2), Risdon (1), Gillaspie (2), Zimmerman (1), Kirk (1), Green (1). HR — Gillaspie (3), Baker (3). CS — Henning.

WP — Smith. HBP — Bobbit (by Smith). Balk — Smith. T — 2:24. A — 78.