Garrett Kocis walk-off homer lifts Wichita State baseball to 10th-inning win over KU
The nervous silence was pierced by the crack of the bat, a swing so powerful there was never any doubt that the game had just ended.
The ball left the bat of Garrett Kocis traveling 101 mph and landed 391 feet, well over the right-field fence at Eck Stadium for a dramatic walk-off home run in the 10th inning to cap off a 7-5 come-from-behind win for the Wichita State baseball team over in-state rival Kansas on Wednesday night.
It was the first walk-off win and first extra-inning win of the season for the Shockers, which leveled their season record to 10-10 and extended their winning streak over the Jayhawks to six in a row.
The game was bleak for WSU through five innings. KU held a 5-0 lead and WSU had only put two runners on base and none in scoring position.
Chuck Ingram’s one-out triple in the bottom of the sixth sparked the Shockers, as Brock Rodden followed with a walk and then a stolen base. Brock Thornhill, who extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a fourth-inning single, scored a run with a sacrifice fly, then Gage Williams and Payton Tolle followed with RBI singles to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Ingram led off the eighth inning with a solo shot over the right-field fence, his third home run in his last three games.
WSU nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, as it loaded the bases with two walks and a single and plated the game-tying run when Rodden was hit by a pitch. But the Shockers could not score the winning run, as Thornhill struck out swinging with two outs to end the threat.
The bullpen once again was crucial after falling in a 5-0 deficit. Creighton Hansen, Adam Ketelsen, L.J. McDonough and Connor Holden combined to throw seven straight innings of scoreless relief to help the Shockers win. Holden registered the win, recording seven straight outs to end the game.
For Kocis, who hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning, it was his second home run in what has been an injury-riddled season. The senior power hitter made just his eighth start of the season on Wednesday.
The Shockers (10-10) are back in action for their final tune-up before American Athletic Conference play with a weekend series against Creighton. First pitch on Friday is slated for 6 p.m. with a 2 p.m. Saturday game and a 1 p.m. Sunday game on tap.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 10:10 AM.
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