DETROIT -- The ninth-ranked Wayne State University softball squad (42-9 overall, 16-4 GLIAC) went to extra innings for the seventh time this season, and for the sixth time came away with a victory.  The Warriors scored once in the top of the eighth to defeat Grand Valley State (22-20 overall, 10-12 GLIAC) 1-0 in the second game of league twinbill Saturday afternoon at the WSU Softball Complex.

The Warriors only extra-inning setback is against No. 1 North Georgia.  The Saints will take a 45-0 mark into the NCAA tournament as the Peach Belt Conference has already had its league tournament (April 16-18).  NG defeated WSU 4-1 in nine innings, one of only two extra inning affairs for the Saints.

On Senior Day, WSU senior Nicole Abel (Kitchener, Ont. / St. Mary's) and Grand Valley pitcher Andrea Nicholson (8-7) were locked in a pitchers duel.  Abel went the first five innings limiting the Lakers to four hits while striking out three.

Meanwhile, WSU was racking up hits against Nicholson, but also runners left on base.  The Warriors stranded two in the first, three in the second, and two in both the third and fourth innings.  Nicholson had a 1-2-3 fifth before a Steph Foreman (Cambridge, Ont. / Preston) leadoff single in the sixth.

Wayne State's "other" senior pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va. / Douglas Freeman) relieved Abel to start the sixth.  After surrendering a leadoff double to GVSU's leading hitter Katie Martin, Hanes retired the next three Laker batters all on 1-2 pitches.

WSU's first two runners in the seventh reached -- Jaci Banton (Richmond Hill, Ont. / Cardinal Carter) on a single and Rebecca Stanley (Waterloo, Ont. / Waterloo C.I.) on a throwing error.  Nicholson then recorded a pop out and back-to-back ground outs to end the frame.

Hanes recorded two strikeouts in the seventh sandwiched around a ground out and a WSU error.

In the top of the eighth, designated player Bailey Reid (Guelph, Ont. / Ross Collegiate V.I.) singled deep in the hole at short with one out.  A Lauren Histed (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica) sacrifice bunt advanced Reid to second where she stayed when Alison Allen (Redford, Mich. / Farmington Hills Mercy) walked on a 3-2 pitch.  On the very first pitch, Banton delivered an RBI single up the middle scoring Reid.

Kayleigh Bertram struck out to start the eighth for GVSU giving Hanes her 566th career strikeout as a Warrior, setting the all-time career mark.  Hanes then struck out Martin on three pitches and, after a single by Breanne Kronberg, Carli Raisutis on three pitches to end the contest.

Wayne State tied a season-high with 14 runners left on base.  WSU had 11 hits off Nicholson led by Banton's three and two each from Stanley and Histed.

Hanes struck out six and did not walk a batter in her three innings of two-hit scoreless relief.  While improving her record to 34-4, Hanes threw strikes on 34 of her 44 pitches.

Wayne State will conclude the home portion of its regular-season schedule on Sunday with a noon GLIAC doubleheader against Ferris State.

Notes:

WSU's four member senior class contributed greatly to the twinbill sweep of Grand Valley.

Hanes pitched 10 scoreless innings striking out nine with no walks.

Abel pitched five scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Stpehanie LeClair (Kitchener, Ont. / Forest Heights C.I.) had the game-winning RBI in the first contest along with an insurance run, then made a sliding catch in left centerfield with a runner on first and one out in the fifth inning of game two.

Banton had three hits in the nightcap along with recording the game-winning RBI.

This senior class is the first in school history with three 40+ win seasons, they have won over 72 percent of their contests and need two wins to set the WSU single-season record for wins (43 set in 1993).