Dallas Baptist edges WSU in series opener

Dallas Baptist’s good statistics didn’t impress Wichita State.

The 11th-ranked Patriots used an unearned run to eke out a 2-1 victory over the Shockers on Thursday night in the first game of their three-game series in Dallas.

Dallas Baptist got a two-out single by Tagg Duce in the sixth, and Daniel Sweet followed with a single, putting runners on first and third. WSU catcher Gunnar Troutwine threw wildly, trying to pick off Duce at third. Duce scored and Sweet advanced to third. Isaac Anderson struck out Chane Lynch and got David Martinelli to fly out to end the inning.

Home runs accounted for the other scoring. DBU’s Lynch led off the third with a shot to left for a 1-0 lead. Sam Hilliard hit a one-out homer to right-center in the seventh to bring WSU within 2-1.

The victory was DBU’s 40th against 10 losses, and the Patriots have won 21 of 24 at home. As a team, DBU was hitting .298 going into the game and its ERA was 3.40. Its ERA dropped to 3.35 after the win.

Notes: There is a curious custom at DBU home games. There is a national cemetery behind the outfield. At 7 p.m., they play taps and the players remove their caps and stand at attention. . . . WSU fell to 5-18 on the road. . . . Hilliard has hit in eight straight. . .. The Shockers blew a great chance in the first. Daniel Kihle and Hilliard singled and Ryan Tinkham was hit by a pitch to load the bases with none out. However, Troutwine struck out, Chase Rader popped to first base and Zach Reding grounded out. . . . In the fourth, with runners at third (Mikel Mucha) and first (Trey Vickers) and two outs, WSU came up empty when Vickers was caught off first and tagged out. . . Both teams couldn’t get the key hit. DBU was 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. WSU was 1 for 12. . . . In the eighth, Reding walked and Tanner Dearman pinch-ran. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Jordan Farris lined out the third to end the threat. . . . Tinkham has reached base via hit, walk and/or hit by pitch in 50 of WSU’s 53 games. . . . WSU batters struck out 14 times and are averaging 8.1 per game.

This story was originally published May 14, 2015 at 10:52 PM with the headline "Dallas Baptist edges WSU in series opener."