Box Score WICHITA, Kan. – UALR baseball fell to 4-8 on the season after taking a 9-2 loss at Wichita State on Wednesday afternoon.
UALR got on the board quick in the first inning. Jason Prevatt opened the game with a leadoff single to center and was followed up by Ryan Scott's fourth double of the season. Tanner Rockwell then walked on a full count to load the bases with no outs. With one out, Joseph Paulino earned his first RBI of the season as he grounded out to second, scoring Prevatt from third.
The Shockers struck back in the bottom of the second. Wichita singled up the middle to begin the inning, and then the runner advanced to second on a ground out. Another single up the middle scored the runner from second to tie the game at 1-1.
Scott earned his second hit of the game with a single up the middle. Rockwell made it safely to first after a fielding error by the third baseman, advancing Scott to second. The Trojans then grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, Mitchell Scheuler was hit by a pitch with one out and proceeded to take second for his second steal of the season. Justin Steelmon reached on a fielder's choice but Scheuler was thrown out at the plate as he tried to score. Steelmon then took second for his first stolen base of the season. Drew Merten then reached first with two outs after an errant throw from third pulled the first baseman off the bag while Steelmon made it to third. The Trojans' chance to score ended with a strikeout.
Prevatt led off the fifth inning with a stand-up double down the right field line to record his second double of the year. Scott then tallied his third hit of the game with a screaming line drive to center, scoring Prevatt from second to take a 2-1 lead. Rockwell kept the hit party going with a single through the left side, advancing Scott to second. Kyle Kirk reached on a fielder's choice, but Scott was forced out at third. The Trojans then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the top of the fifth with a one-run lead.
Wichita made another offensive surge in the bottom of the fifth with two consecutive singles to lead things off. Runners advanced to third and second after a sacrifice bunt and bases were loaded after a one-out walk. The Shockers then scored on a fielder's choice to tie it at 2-2. Reed Willenborg relieved starter Chad Bradford after 4.1 innings. The next batter for the Shockers sent a sac fly to deep right, scoring the runner from third to take a 3-2 lead.
“I thought Chad Bradford came out and pitched really well,” head coach Chris Curry said. “He got into some trouble there at the end and ran out of a gas a little bit.”
The hits and runs kept on coming in the bottom of the sixth for the Shockers. After striking out to lead off the inning, Wichita State walked, doubled in three consecutive at-bats, singled and scored four runs to take a 7-2 lead. Stephen Chandler came on to relieve Willenborg with one out in the inning. After the pitching change, Wichita State hit a deep sac fly to center and scored its fifth run of the inning to take an 8-2 lead.
Preston Oberling made his third appearance of the season in the bottom of the eighth, getting a ground out and a strikeout before walking home a run to increase Wichita's lead to 9-2. Oberling ended the inning with a second strikeout.
“We proceeded to walk four batters over the next four and half innings, and that's why we got beat," Curry said. "Once again, it's the same story. They got the big hit and we did not. We left seven on base and they left 10, but we had opportunities early where we had bases loaded and nobody out. You need to come out of that situation with at least two runs and we did not. That's what has been plaguing us."
Scott ended the day 3 for 4, extending his hitting and reached base streak to nine games. Prevatt scored the Trojans only two runs and had two hits, including a double.
"The pitching kept us in the game early," Curry said. "We had some offense going, and we had runners on. Then, we let them hang around a little bit and it ended up costing us. Our team has to learn what they're being taught which is when you're at bat or pitching in the moment you need to slow your breathing down, slow yourself down and understand that the pressure is on the other team and not you. Don't try to force the situation and let it come to you. That takes time and experience.”
UALR will return home for a three-game series with conference foe Louisiana starting on Friday at 6 p.m.
