WICHITA, Ka.- The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions traveled to take on the Shockers of Wichita State for a three game set which resulted in the Shockers winning two out of the three games.
In the first game Wichita State established success offensively by scoring 21 runs. UAPB’s bats struggled in the first ballgame as they were only able to manage one run on five hits. The Shockers prevailed in the opening game of the series 21-1.
“Early in the series we committed some untimely errors that hurt us down the stretch,” said UAPB head coach Michael Bumpers. “As we began to eliminate some of those mistakes we were able to have some success both offensively and defensively.”
The second game yielded better results for the Golden Lions as defeated the Shockers 10-7. The Golden Lions took their cuts as they were able to belt out seventeen hits. Coupled with a solid pitching display by the Golden Lions the Shockers were turned away in the latter innings as UAPB managed to score some insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning to secure the victory.
In the final contest of the series Arkansas-Pine Bluff dropped a nail biter by the score of 5-4 as the Shockers squeaked by in what was a highly contested game and series. Both teams performance mirrored each others through the majority of the contest. The Golden Lions managed to take a 4-3 advantage in the seventh but the Shockers managed to cross the plate twice in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
“We felt like we played well enough to win the series,” said Bumpers. “As a team we’re starting to solidify our pitching rotation going into the heart of conference play. All of the players on our pitching staff are beginning to get a feel for their respective roles on our team.”
Next on deck for the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions is a three-game home stand against SWAC West foe Grambling State. The first two games will be played as a double header on Saturday March, 21st with a single nine inning game to follow on Sunday. The first pitch for both days will be thrown out at 1 p.m.