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DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team won an NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament title Sunday, rolling past 13th-ranked University of Indianapolis 7-0 at the WSU Softball Stadium in the championship round.
The Warriors (44-9), which didn't allow a run all tournament, scored six runs in the opening two innings in Sunday's title game and cruised to the victory over the Greyhounds (44-13). Wayne State went 3-0 overall in the tournament and advances to the 2014 NCAA Midwest Super Regionals for just the second time in school history and first since 2010. WSU also won its school-record 19th straight game of the season and finished the season 13-0 at home.
Wayne State will travel to the University of Missouri-St. Louis, which also won an NCAA regional title Sunday, to play the Tritons on Friday and Saturday, May 16-17 for a NCAA Midwest Super Regional title.
Wayne State, playing as the visitors and batting first, wasted little time getting on the scoreboard against Indianapolis and ace pitcher Morgan Foley. In the top of the first inning and with one out, senior
Logan White (Brantford, Ont. / Johnson C.V.I.) reached on a single down the left field line. Redshirt freshman
Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) followed by hitting into a fielder's choice, but advanced to second base on a throwing error. Butler moved along to third on a wild pitch and after junior
Emily Bryce (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester Adams) walked, senior
Julie Ingratta (Markham, Ont. / St. Thomas of Villanova College) plated Butler with an RBI single to right field to give WSU a 1-0 lead.
Butler started the game for the Warriors in the circle and quickly retired the first three Indianapolis batters in the bottom of the first inning. In the top of the second inning, Wayne State sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs to extend the lead to 6-0 and take early control of the contest.
Freshman
Devin Hentschel (Wyoming, Mich. / Rogers) singled up the middle to open the second inning and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore
Gabby Williams (South Lyon, Mich. / South Lyon). Freshman
Emily Cava (Brampton, Ont. / Cardinal Leger S.S.) and White each walked to load the bases with one out. Butler and Bryce followed with RBI singles to right centerfield to give Wayne State a 3-0 lead. Ingratta singled to the pitcher for another RBI and sophomore
Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) knocked home two more runs with a single to left centerfield. In all, Wayne State had seven baserunners reach in the second inning and had four players record RBI. The inning also knocked Foley out of the contest.
Butler retired the side in order in the bottom of the second and struck out two batters in the bottom of the third inning as Wayne State continued to lead 6-0 heading to the top of the fourth. In the fourth inning, White singled through the right side and Butler laced a double through the gap in right center and to the wall. White raced around the bases to score from first base and give Wayne State a 7-0 advantage.
It was more than enough run support for Butler, who allowed four Indianapolis batters to reach base all afternoon, just three on base hits (all singles). The Greyhounds didn't get past first base at any point during the contest. Butler (23-4) struck out 11 batters, including six in the final three innings. She also struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win for Wayne State.
Overall during the tournament, WSU pitchers -- Lee and Butler -- allowed no runs, one walk and 10 hits in 21 innings pitched, striking out 22 batters. No runner passed second base in any of the three Wayne State victories. This season, Wayne State pitchers have thrown a school-record 487 strikeouts and have tossed 26 shutouts in 53 games. WSU has given up just 49 earned runs and lowered its earned run average to 0.94 after the weekend.
White collected five hits overall throughout the tournament, reaching base three times Sunday with two hits and a walk. She increased her team-leading average to .395. Ingratta added four hits during the tournament, while Cava posted two doubles and Butler tallied three RBI. As a team, Wayne State hit .278 during the NCAA Midwest Regional and reached base at a .338 clip.
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