Shocker SB v UConn

[flyingMoose]

The Shockers continue their conference slate with games scheduled against UConn on Friday at 6pm, Saturday at 3pm and Sunday at noon, all with weather permitting.

The Huskies are 9-17 on the season against a not particularly impressive schedule and 0-3 in conference play. They were swept last weekend by UCF, losing by scores of 0-2, 1-2 and 1-2 again.

The only OPS above .800 belongs to Briana Marcelino at .935. She has three homers to lead the team which has only eight home runs total.

Marybeth Olson is the ace of the staff. Her ERA is 1.91 with a WHIP of 1.14. Katie Koshes and Jill Stockely have lots of innings but not very good numbers with neither of them having an ERA less than 4.00. Olson, Koshes and Olson had complete game starts against UCF.

The Shockers are now 20-12, 1-2. Their likely starters this weekend are Caitlin (ERA of 3.14 and WHIP of 1.50) and Erin (3.46 and 1.22).

Butters (OPS of 1.162 and eight homers) leads the offense for the Shocks. Recent good hitting by Neleigh (1.049) and Ryleigh (.994 and four homers) have moved them up the list.

[1972Shocker]

Would be nice if Laurie and Bailee get their bats going a little better.

I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by Kaylee's offense this year. Kaylee played in 48 games last year, starting 46 of them, but was primarily playing for her defense. The DP almost exclusively batted for her int he games she played. As a result she had a whopping 4 at bats last year going 0-3 and walking once.

This year she is hitting .268 in 56 at bats with one home run. She has walked 7 times and only struck out 5 times. She also seems to gaining confidence with as she gets more opportunities.

[flyingMoose]

I didn't want to say "and weaker hitting has moved ...", but Yes.

Good point about Kaylee. Neleigh's recent good hitting comes as a bit of surprise, too, I think.

[flyingMoose]

Today's game has been moved to a 4pm start time.

[flyingMoose]

A nice article about the 1989 softball team, the first Shocker women's team in any sport to qualify for the NCAA post-season.

Also from the series writeup on the Web site-

This year marks the 50th season of intercollegiate women's athletics at WSU and the Shockers will celebrate that milestone over the next 10 months, highlighted by sport reunions, recognitions and other special events. The first event will be March 29-31 at softball this weekend. During the UConn series, WSU will be honoring the 1989 Gateway Tournament championship team, the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference championship team and all former Wichita State softball coaches.

[1972Shocker]

Sully also had an article on the leader of that team, Patty Bautista, a week ago.

https://goshockers.com/news/2019/3/22/the-roundhouse-rh-pitcher-led-1989-softball-team-to-unexpected-heights.aspx?path=sb

I've been enjoying these glimpses of Shocker history and some of the 'Where Are They Now" articles. Good job Sully.

Interestingly, I was thinking Patty was probably in the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. In fact, not only is Patty not a member of the Shocker Hall of Fame but I does not look like there are any Shocker softball players in the Shocker Hall of Fame unless I missed them.

Surely there are a few candidates in addition to Patty. Margo Pruis, Tina Lewis, Caci Williams, Katie Malone, Mackenzie Wright come to mind (The latter 3 when they become eligible).

[flyingMoose]

Game One

Erin is in the circle for the Shocks and Olson for UConn.

The lineup for the Shockers is the familiar faces.

3b Sydney
cf Asea
c Butters
1b Ryleigh
ss Laurie
dp Neleigh
rf Bailee
2b Kaylee
rf Wylie

[flyingMoose]

Today's game has been rained out. A DH is scheduled for tomorrow with a 1pm start time.

[1972Shocker]

Friday's Game Postponed, Doubleheader Set for Saturday

3/29/2019 4:15:00 PM

WICHITA, Kan.- The Wichita State softball team announced that Friday's game against UConn has been postponed due to rain and field conditions.
A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday starting at 1 p.m., with the second game to start at approximately 3:15 p.m. Sunday's game will be played as scheduled. Tickets purchased for Friday's game will be honored for Saturday's game.

Saturday and Sunday mark the first event of the 50th season of intercollegiate women's athletics at WSU. The 1989 team and 2014 championship teams will be honored before Saturday's games and the coaches will be honored before Sunday's game.

[1972Shocker]

The light rain is supposed to stop at around 10:00 am on Saturday but with temps in the mid-40's and winds out of the north at 20 mph it will not be a pleasant day.

Too bad the weather man could not have cooperated with the first of teh 50th annivesary season celebrations.

[flyingMoose]

Same lineups as yesterday, but I am off to watch volleyball.

[flyingMoose]

Back.

Although there is no update on the Shocker site, the UConn site claims there will be a single game Saturday starting at 3pm (typing at 320pm) and a DH on Sunday starting at 10am. Quien sabe?

In Wichita, 43 degrees with a wind chill of 34. In Storrs, 66 degrees.

[1972Shocker]

Steve Strain confirmed that on the Yurview broadcast. Will be plenty cool tomorrow (35 at 10:00 am) but the winds will only be about 5 mph.

[flyingMoose]

Game One (finally)

The Shockers get two on in the first, but cannot get anyone across.

The Huskies score first with a two-run homer (to right, no surprise there) in the second. In the bottom half, Neleigh's leadoff single is wiped out by a double play. Huskies, 2-0 after two.

In the third, Marcelino hits a two-out, two-run homer that just cleared the fence in center for a 4-0 lead. The Huskies have already doubled their runs-scored from last weekend. The LiveStats gave an error to Ryleigh on a ball to short to leadoff the inning, but Laurie's throw was a bit wide and Ryleigh pulled her foot stretching for it. The error should have been given to LA.

The Shocks load the bases to begin their third on an error, single by Sydney and walk to Asea. Butters, Ryleigh and Laurie all are out without scoring a run. 4-0 after three complete.

Kaylee's two-out double is the only baserunner in the fourth inning.

HCKB has an all-hands meeting before the Shockers bat in the fifth. Well, at least they were fly outs instead of strikeouts. Still 4-0 after five.

UConn starts their sixth with a double and a walk. A 5-3 double play and another ground out get Erin out of the jam. Three more easy outs in the Shocker sixth.

The seventh. Wow! The first base umpire is clueless. A slow roller is hit to Kaylee and she can't get the ball out of her glove to shovel it to Ryleigh. The call is Out! The umpires get together - and she signals Out again - with no throw to first base ever! The third time is the charm - she signals Safe. This is the same umpire that missed Ryleigh's pulled foot in the third - an easy call that she missed and had to go the plate umpire to get help when UConn appealed.

A double by Kaylee and a walk to Sydney get two runners on. The second baseman boots Asea's grounder to load the bases with two outs. Butters fouls off several pitches before her fly ball almost reaches the warning track - not far enough.


UConn 4-0 Shockers

The Huskies only get four hits, but two of them are two-run homers. The Shocks get five hits including two doubles by Kaylee and two singles by Sydney along with two walks, but cannot string anything together and strand nine. Erin gave up only one walk along with the four hits with UConn leaving four on the bases.

[1972Shocker]

6 of the 9 Shocker runners left on base were in scoring position. The Shocks were 0-9 with RISP. Butters 0-3, Laurie 0-2, Wylie 0-2, Ryleigh 0-1 and Asea 0-1.

[wusphlash]

Weren't we picked to finish second to USF in the conference? What gives?

[1972Shocker]

We lost our #1 pitcher and one of our best hitters for the season and our #2 pitcher has been very erratic and undependable.

[wusphlash]

That'll do it.

[1972Shocker]

Yeah, anytime you have to rely so much on your #3 and #4 pitchers it's a struggle. On the other hand UConn's Mary Beth Olson has been pretty good in the circle today although the Shocks has some opportunities to get to her early.

[1972Shocker]

I assume the Shocks will have to go with Caitlyn in at least one of the games tomorrow. She has good enough stuff if she can find her command. Not something she has consistently done so fare in her Shocker career.

[UCONN_Husky]

:victorious:

[1972Shocker]

In Game 1 more of the same. Erin has given up 2 home runs in 3 innings plus 2 batters and the Shocks have left 4 runners on base (3 in scoring position) in 3 at bats including a 1 out bases loaded situation in the 3rd. Apparently, a viral strain of RISP allergy has spread among the Shocks. Butters did hit the ball on the nose for the 2nd out in the 3rd but lined out to the shortstop. A base running mistake by Wylie Glover probably cost the Shocks a run in the 3rd.

Caitlyn Bingham is now on in relief of Erin McDonald. Caitlyn walked the 1st batter she faced on 5 pitches which is not a good sign. On the next better she got ahead 0-2 before going to a 3-2 count before getting a grounder to 3rd that the Shocks turned into a 5-4-3 double play. Then Caitlyn walks the next 3 batters. That will do it for Caitlen and Lauren Mills is coming on in relief. Lauren promptly walks the 1st batter she faces to force in run number 4 UConn before falling behind to the next batter before coming back to make the count 3-2 and induce a ground out to 2nd to end the nightmare. A double, homer run and 5 walks by the Shockers in this inning. UConn leads 4-0.

Perhaps an over-reaction on my part but this feels like a Shocker team on the brink of collapse. The hitters, fore the most part, are not being aggressive. Taking a lot of very hittable pitches and swinging at a lot of borderline pitches and falling behind in the count. Kaylee Huecker, who could not even get at bats last year looks like the Shocks best hitter right now and the pitching is well -- in crisis.

In the Shocker 4th Laurie hits a lazy fly to short center, Neleigh pops up to short, Bailee walks and Kaylee skys to medium right field.

Lauren gets through the 5th with only a 2-out single to left and a wild pitching leaving a UConn runner at 2nd.

Wylie leads off the 2nd with a single to center out of the 9 hole. Sidney pops out to short, Wylie goes to 2nd on a wild pitch and Asea pops out to short right to the 2nd baseman. Butters walks (very possibly semi-intentionally). Ryleigh finally delivers in the clutch with a double to right center to deliver the Shockers first 2 runs of the season. Ryleigh's double was a high fly to the warning track in that perfectly split the center fielder and the right fielder and fell in about 1 foot from both fielders. Laurie then fouled out to first.

Not sure what the UConn left is doing to induce so many pop ups. The Shocks just seem to be late with their swings a lot although the UConn pitcher doesn't appear to be throwing all that hard. She does have a very quick somewhat frenetic delivery and perhaps that is throwing the Shocks timing off.

Lauren pitches a scoreless 6th. The Shockers get a 1 out walk and after a force out at 2nd on a weak grounder to the pitcher brings in their ace, Marybeth Olson. After giving up an infield single to Wylie she gets a comebacker from Sidney to end the inning.

Lauren works around a 1 out error by Laurie on a routine grounder to short followed by a double into the right field corner. She gets a come backer for out 2 while holding the runner at 3rd and a one hopper to Laurie at short to end the threat.

Asea leads off the Shocker 7th striking out on ball 3 as she tries to pull a high, outside pitch. Butters strikes out on a 1-2 pitch but the ump missed the call but she ended popping up to the middle of the infield. Ryleigh was also probably out looking on a 1-2 pitch again missed by the up but she skies out to center to end the game.

I have never seen so many pop ups and cans of corn. I guess the UConn pitchers are doing something to cause this.

Shocks fall to 1-4 in AAC play after 5 home games. I guess it is what it is.

[flyingMoose]

:victorious:

Sad to say, I think it is entirely possible that your Huskies will finish ahead of the Shockers in conference play.