MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Wichita State turned a close game into a rout with four runs in the seventh inning and seven more in the eighth, supporting another strong start from Tommy LaPour to defeat Memphis 14-1 on Thursday night at FedExPark.**
The game was called after eight innings due to the ten-run rule.
With this victory, the Shockers (28-26, 14-11) secured a top-four seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament, marking their sixth consecutive win, a season-high.
After three scoreless innings, Mauricio Millan broke the deadlock with an RBI single off Memphis starter David Warren (4-6). Jordan Rogers extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer in the fifth, the first of his two two-run shots of the game.
The score remained 3-0 until the seventh inning when Rogers hit his second homer, Kam Durnin added a sacrifice fly, and Josh Livingston hit an RBI double, widening the lead. Memphis (22-31, 9-16) had a chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with no outs but managed only one run on a wild pitch, making it 7-1.
Wichita State then scored seven runs in the eighth inning, drawing five walks and getting RBI singles from Durnin, Seth Stroh, and Dayvin Johnson off three different Memphis relievers.
LaPour (5-3) delivered an excellent performance, allowing only one hit over six innings, striking out two and walking three, with just one runner reaching third base. Jack Mount pitched the final two innings, striking out two.
Warren gave up six hits and three runs in 4.2 innings, taking the loss for Memphis. Three Memphis relievers each allowed at least three earned runs after his departure.
The Shockers drew a season-high 12 walks in the game, with Dayvin and Camden Johnson each drawing three. Millan was hit by a pitch twice, bringing the team’s total to 100 hit by pitches in 2024.
Wichita State and Memphis will continue the series on Friday night, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00 pm.
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