Shockers complete sweep of Evansville

Wichita State’s Chase Williams turned in his finest pitching game of the season Sunday and Evansville pitchers turned in one of their worst games of the season.

Williams blanked Evansville for 7 2/3 innings as the Shockers beat Evansville 10-0 to sweep the three-game series. The game was halted in the eighth because of the Missouri Valley’s 10-run rule.

Evansville pitchers walked 10 and hit three batters. Starter Connor Strain walked the bases loaded in the fourth as WSU scored three runs. WSU sent nine batters to the plate and needed just two hits to score the three runs.

In the seventh, WSU sent 10 batters to the plaate, scoring five runs on just one hit. Evansville handed out four walks in the inning and hit two batters.

Williams allowed just two runners to reach third base and neither scored. He walked three and struck out six.

The Shockers have won four straight.

Notes: The game’s strangest play came on the final batter. With the bases loaded and one out, Tanner Kirk grounded to Evansville third baseman Jonathan Ramon, who threw to first for the second out, allowing Ryan Tinkham to come home with the game-ending run. . . . Williams stymied the nation’s leading hitter Kevin Kaczmarski, who came into the game 7 for 8 in the previous games. Williams struck him out twice, got him to ground out to first and fly out to center. . . . Ten WSU batters came to bat with the bases loaded during the game. . . . Evansville’s Stewart Nelson had the base-running goof of the game. After doubling in the third, he tried to advance to third after WSU shortstop Trey Vickers had thrown to first base. Nelson started late and was thrown out easily for the second out. . . . Mikel Mucha went 6 for 11 in the series, including two infield singles Sunday. . . . Fifth-year senior Bob Arens hit his first career triple. . . . The Valley race for final seedings is close. The postseason tournament in Wichita will feature two pools. The winners of each pool will play a one-game championship for the automatic NCAA bid. Seeds 1, 8, 4, 5 will be on one pool while 2, 7, 3, 6 will comprise the other pool. Missouri State, which closes against Bradley, needs just one win to clinch the No. 1 seed. The Bears get all ties with Dallas Bapitst. MSU took two of three from Dallas Baptist, all three games were decided by one run. Bradley is 10-7 and WSU at 9-9 while Illinois State is 8-10. Illinois State closes against Indiana State.

This story was originally published May 10, 2015 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Shockers complete sweep of Evansville."