Hawaii sends Shocker baseball to fifth straight loss

Wichita State pitchers continued to yield walks and base hits; and as a result, the Shockers have their first five-game losing streak of the season after a 7-3 loss to host Hawaii early Friday.

WSU pitchers handed out five walks and struck out just two and yielded 14 base hits to a team batting .220 going into the game.

Hawaii (4-15) struck for a two-out run in the second, got two walks in the third and both scored for a 3-0 lead.

WSU got on the board in the fourth when Casey Gillaspie hit his seventh double of the season and came home on Tyler Baker’s single. Baker now has 14 RBIs. The Shockers should have gotten more. Daniel Kihle, batting with the bases loaded, grounded into a double play. Then Dayne Parker grounded out with Micah Green at third to end the threat.

Baker, who had two hits to go with the three hits in the first game of the series, drove in Mikel Mucha in the seventh for WSU’s final run. Mucha had singled and went to second and third on wild pitches.

A three-run Hawaii fifth spelled the difference for WSU. Kaeo Aliviado and Marc Flores opened with back-to-back doubles. Andre Real walked, which spelled the end for WSU starter Zach Beringer.

Aaron LeBrie relieved and allowed a hit to Conner George, driving in Flores with the second run of the inning. George has four hits and six RBIs in the two games. Austin Wobrock’s single drove in Real for the final run of the inning, giving Hawaii a 6-2 lead after five innings.

Notes: Cale Elam (1-1, 2.84) will go to the mound for WSU on Friday against Scott Squier (0-2, 2-05). .WSU turned three double plays, giving it six in the two games. . . . Erik Harbutz snapped an 0 for 14 slump with a single in the first, batting in the No. hole. . . . Green ended an 0 for 11 skid with a single in the fourth. . . . Kihle was the victim of a unusual out in the sixth. He hit an infield single and the Hawaii second baseman threw past first base. Kihle rounded the bag and started for second but stopped when he realized the Hawaii catcher had backed up the play. The catcher, Trevor Podratz, threw to first and Kihle was tagged out. Garrett Bayliff, who had singled earlier, was standing on second base. . . The Shocks had two good catches in the outfield. . . . With two runs in and runners on first and third and two outs in the third, Kalei Hanawahine hit a fly ball to left-center. Shortstop Parker, center fielder Green and left fielder Mucha converged with Mucha making a sliding catch. Bayliff turned in the other gem in right in the fourth. With a runner on second, Bayliff made a diving catch in four territory of the bat of Stephen Ventimilia for the second out. . . .In all, Hawaii had 21 base runners.

E — . DP — WSU 3, Hawaii 2. LOB — WSU 8, Hawaii 10. 2B — Gillaspie (7), Hanawahine (2), Aliviado (5), Flores 2 (5). S — Mucha, Aliviado, Wobrock. SB — Ventimilia (3).

WP — MacDonald 2. HBP — Aliviado (by LaBrie). Balk — LaBrie. Umpires — Ruben Candelaria; Dave Gimbi, first; Phil Benson, third. T — 2:22.. A — 2,820.