THE LEAD
No. 29 DBU (37-16, 15-4) scored runs in four straight innings early in Friday night's game at Wichita State (20-35, 8-12) and held on late with quality bullpen work to record a 7-5 win over the Shockers on Friday night at Eck Stadium.  Darick Hall threw five innings to pick up the win, while Seth Elledge recorded his 13th save of the season and is now just two shy of matching the school record for saves in a season. 
 
Austin Listi swung the hot bat for DBU with two hits and four RBIs to pace the offense for the Patriots.  While the Patriots' bats went cold over the final four innings of the game, an early four-run lead was enough to hold on and clinch the series win.
 
Unlike Thursday night, the Patriots took command early and scored a pair of runs in the second inning off Wichita starter Cody Tyler, a product of Terrell, Texas.  Darick Hall, recently named a semi-finalist for the Howser Trophy and the Olson Award, led off the second inning with a double down the right field line and Austin Listi followed with a line drive homerun to straightaway centerfield, his eighth homerun of the season.
 
Justin Wall made it a three-run cushion in the third inning when he plated David Martinelli, who had reached second base on an infield error, with a groundball off the tip of the glove of third baseman Alec Bohm.
 
Both teams scored in the fourth inning thanks to the long ball.  Camden Duzenack led off the inning with his third homerun of the season to push the lead to 4-0, but Wichita State cut that lead in half in the bottom of the inning when Alec Bohm followed an infield single with a blast to left off Hall. That would be as close Wichita would get, however, as DBU struck for three runs in the fifth inning and ended the night for Tyler.  The big blow came off the bat of Listi when his bases loaded double down the left field line rattled around in the corner to score two more runs and push the lead back to four.
 
Camden Duzenack then put together a long at-bat before sending a ball to the warning track in center that scored Hall from third.  That was the last batter for Tyler, who exited after giving up six earned runs (seven overall) in 4.2 innings pitched.
 
Hall surrendered another run in the fifth on a two-out single, but completed the inning to be eligible for the win.  Gavin Fritz entered to start the sixth inning and did not complete the frame.  Sean Stutzman relieved the right-hander with two outs after three hits and two earned runs crossed the plate. With the tying runs on base, Stutzman stranded runners at first and second to keep the Patriot lead at 7-5.
 
Stutzman had to pitch around traffic again in the seventh and this time the jam was of his own doing. After two walks to open the inning, Wichita State had the tying runs at second and third with one out. Stutzman, however, found the groove once again and picked up back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.  Stutzman struck out two more in a perfect eighth inning to increase his game total to six in 2.1 innings, as the southpaw used the strikeout for six of the seven outs he recorded while facing nine batters.
 
Seth Elledge came on in the ninth to close out the game and ensured the Patriots another series win, as he retired the side in order. 
 
DBU HEAD COACH DAN HEEFNER ON FOLLOWING UP AN MVC TITLE WITH A WIN TONIGHT
"I was really proud of them and I think it speaks a lot to the character of this team the way they came out and played tonight.  We were able to get out to a quick start and build a lead and then we got a great effort tonight from Sean Stutzman out of the pen to hold them off."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots have won all three series over Wichita State since DBU joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 2014.
- DBU will go for their seventh series sweep of the season on Saturday.
- After Friday's win over Wichita State, DBU has the 23rd best win percentage in all of college baseball.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 – Darick Hall becomes the third Patriot pitcher this year to win for the eight time, as he joins Colin Poche and Dalton Higgins with eight wins on the season.
20 – Daniel Sweet reached base safely for the 20th consecutive game.
27 – Austin Listi hit his 27th career home run.
 
UP NEXT
DBU will go for the sweep of the Shockers on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.  This will be the final regular season game for both squads, as they prepare for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Terre Haute, Indiana, next week.