WSU 12, MSU 10, a final: Gillaspie, in what is likely his last Eck Stadium appearance, goes out with a performance for the ages. 4 for 5, two home runs, 5 RBIs. WSU wins its first tournament since 2005 and takes a six-game win streak - its longest since it won 19 earlier in the spring - into an NCAA regional.
Regional sites are announced around 6 p.m., Sunday on ESPN2 during a softball broadcast. The field is announced at 11:30 a.m., on ESPN2. The Shockers will gather at A.J.’s and the public is invited.
Frevert said he felt tightness in his elbow warming up, which is why he came out in the eighth. That explains that. Guttin made the right move.
Check that. Nanney walks the No. 8 hitter after getting up 0-2. Logan Hoch in for WSU. He will have to get through at least part of the top of MSU’s order to get out of here. No. 2 batter Nolan Keane is 4 for 5 with three RBIs.
WSU 12, MSU 10, top of the ninth: Shockers add another on an error by pitcher Pat Doyle. 22 runs. 25 hits. 8 errors. Khol Nanney in to close it for WSU.
WSU 11, MSU 10. Gillaspie home run. Dyer was 0-0 with a 9.64 ERA in MVC games, 5.61 in all games. Why?
Frevert was on the mound, throwing warmup pitches. MSU coach Keith Guttin came out of the dugout and hooked him in favor of Kyle Dyer. Strange move. Dyer faces Gillaspie.
MSU 10, WSU 10, bottom of the eighth: Shockers give the momentum back with another bad inning. Tyler Fleming walked the leadoff batter and it fell apart from there. With Frevert still pitching, the advantage may swing back to the Bears. TV viewers can’t be impressed by this display of Valley baseball.
WSU 10, MSU 6, after seven: Shockers score five of MSU reliever Matt Frevert. He was the guy who was going to do it for the Bears, so that is a bad development for them. Kevin Hall drove in a run with his third single. Andy Dirks, to chants of MVP, MVP, drives in two more.
MSU 6, WSU 5, bottom of the sixth: Nolan Keane drives in his third run to put the Bears ahead.
WSU 5, MSU 5, after five: Josh Workman’s sacrifice drives in Gillaspie, who singled on the first pitch of the inning. Capra is out. Tyler Fleming takes over.
MSU 5, WSU 4, bottom of the fifth: MSU’s Josh Mazzola homers on the first pitch of the fifth from Capra. The decision to bring him out for the fifth may be as bad as pitching to Gillaspie.
MSU 4, WSU 4, after three: MSU chooses again to pitch to Gillaspie. One pitch. Over the center-field wall for a three-run home run.
MSU 4, WSU 1, bottom of the second: The Shockers turn in their worst defensive inning of the season. Four errors (none on particularly tough plays), a wild pitch, a passed ball. They trail for the first time in the tournament.
WSU 1, MSU 0, after one: Why do teams pitch to Conor Gillaspie with a base open? I don’t know. MSU did and he singled on a 3-2 count to drive in Ryan Jones.
Cloudy and windy at Eck Stadium. The lights are on. Kevin Hall remains in left for WSU. He is hitting .800 in the tournament, so that seems like a good choice. MSU is throwing freshman right-hander Cody Aycock (3-1, 4.28 ERA). He started four games this season, none in the MVC. In his most recent start, he lasted 3 2/3 innings against Oral Roberts and didn’t give up a run. He has not gone more than 4 2/3, so you would guess MSU will try to get around that from him and then go to Matt Frevert to finish up.