CLEARWATER, Fla. — Wichita State bounced back from a heartbreaking 5-4 loss on Saturday morning to run-rule #1 seed East Carolina 12-2 in eight innings, advancing to the American Athletic Conference tournament championship game for the first time in program history.
The Shockers (32-28) will take on Tulane in the championship on Sunday at 11:00 am CT. The game will air nationally on ESPNews as well as ESPN+.
Game One
Wichita State let a late lead slip away in the first semifinal game of the day. The Shockers held a 4-2 advantage into the bottom of the ninth, but the Pirates scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to snatch a walk-off victory. A leadoff double from Jacob Jenkins-Cowart and a single from pinch hitter Luke Nowak opened the inning, followed by a sacrifice fly from Justin Wilcoxen that made it 4-3. Dixon Williams singled to put runners at the corners with one out and Joey Berini slapped a sacrifice fly of his own to tie the game at 4-4. Consecutive walks loaded the bases and then Williams stole home for the game-winning run.
The comeback spoiled an excellent start from Wichita State ace Caden Favors, who fired seven strong innings on just three days rest. Favors worked 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out five and walking one. He held the Pirates off the board until the seventh, when ECU scored a pair of runs to erase a 2-0 deficit and tie the game.
Jaden Gustafson put Wichita State back in front in the top of the eighth inning with a pinch-hit RBI single and Seth Stroh added an insurance run with a solo home run leading off the ninth for the 4-2 lead.
The Shockers scored a run in the top of the first after ECU starter Erik Ritchie walked the bases loaded, grabbing a 1-0 edge on a fielder’s choice ground out from Mauricio Millan. Camden Johnson doubled the lead with a two-out RBI single in the fourth and the game stayed 2-0 until the seventh, when an RBI ground out from Justin Wilcoxen and a pinch-hit home run from Walker Barron knotted the score at 2-2.
Danny Beal (7-2) picked up the win for ECU by retiring the final two batters of the top of the ninth, while Nate Adler (1-2) took the loss for Wichita State.
Game Two
East Carolina (43-15) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single from Cam Clonch, but it was essentially all Shockers the rest of the way. Wichita State poured in five runs with two outs in the third inning, getting consecutive bases-loaded walks from Josh Livingston and Mauricio Millan before Jaden Gustafson rapped a hard ground ball up the middle that kicked off the glove of second baseman Jacob Starling, scoring two more runs. Kam Durnin made it 5-1 with a two-out RBI single.
After ECU got a run back in the fourth on a solo home run from Jenkins-Cowart, the Shockers blew the game open with four more runs in the fifth. Camden Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the first run and Lane Haworth followed with a three-run homer, ballooning the lead to 9-2.
Brady Hamilton (2-3) protected the lead with five strong innings to match his season high. The freshman struck out six and did not walk a batter, allowing six hits and two runs.
Three more two-out runs crossed for Wichita State in the top of the eighth, putting the Shockers in position for the run rule. Durnin cracked another RBI single to score Jaden Gustafson, who had reached on an error to prolong the inning. Stroh then yanked an RBI double into the right field corner that made it 11-2 and Camden Johnson brought the lead to 10 with a run-scoring single of his own.
Jack Mount pitched around two baserunners in the bottom of the eighth to close out the win, retiring AAC Player of the Year Carter Cunningham on a fly ball to centerfield to end the game. Mount worked 2.1 scoreless innings out of the Shocker bullpen, striking out two while allowing three hits and one walk.
East Carolina starter Corey Costello (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs in 2.2 innings.
Mauricio Millan was hit by a pitch for the 24th time this season in the sixth inning, setting a new single-season program record and single-season AAC record. Tyler Grimes previously held the top mark for Wichita State, wearing 23 pitches during the 2010 season, while UCF’s Ben McCabe was plunked 23 times in 2023.
