Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. -- The eighth-ranked Wayne State University softball squad (47-10 overall, 21-5 GLIAC) won the 2010 GLIAC regular-season title with a 10-1 victory in six innings at Lake Superior State (10-38 overall, 5-21 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon.

The first three innings were scoreless as WSU senior Nicole Abel (Kitchener, Ont. / St. Mary's) and Laker hurler Christine Larkin put up zero's.

After Abel retired her 12th consecutive batter to start the contest, the Warriors tallied two runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Rebecca Stanley (Waterloo, Ont. / Waterloo C.I.) had a leadoff single and was safe at second as Becca Ryan (Westland, Mich. / Dearborn Divine Child) reached on an error.  A sacrifice bunt by Stephanie LeClair (Kitchener, Ont. / Forest Heights C.I.) advanced both runners, who then both scored after a fly out and a throw home that was misplayed by the Laker catcher.

LSSU scored its lone run with one out in the top of the fifth on a double followed by an RBI single.  WSU senior pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va. / Douglas Freeman) came into the circle and retired the next two batters on ground balls.

In the bottom of the fifth, Rachel Spaccarotelli (Ray, Mich. / Romeo) walked and pinch-runner Kassie Snyder (Marine City, Mich.) went to second on a sacrifice bunt.  A ground out moved Snyder to third where she scored as part of a double steal following a single by Jaci Banton (Richmond Hill, Ont. / Cardinal Carter).

Hanes set the Lakers down in order in the top of the sixth and the Warrior offense erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the frame to end the contest.  Ryan doubled and LeClair singled to put runners on the corners.  A sacrifice fly by Brittany Omelanchuk (Brooklin, Ont. / Wilson S.S.) plated Ryan, while Steph Foreman (Cambridge, Ont. / Preston) doubled to put runners at second and third.  Spaccarotelli smacked a three-run home run and Lauren Histed (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica) followed with a single prompting an LSSU pitching change.  Alison Allen (Redford, Mich. / Farmington Hills Mercy) greeted reliever Jordan Christie wtih a single.  Banton's RBI single scored Histed, while Stanley walked to load the bases.  Ryan then ended the contest with a two-run single scoring pinch-runner Makelle Barski (Trenton, Mich.) and Banton.

Abel improved to 7-2 overall by limiting LSSU to two hits and one run in 4.1 innings with two strikeouts.  Hanes notched her third save of the campaign with 1.2 innings of hitless relief.

Larking surrendered eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in 5.1 innings with two walks and no strikeouts.  Christie faced four batters allowing three hits, a walk and two earned runs.

Wayne State enters the 2010 GLIAC tournament as the No. 1 seed and will face Hillsdale College, the No. 8 seed, at noon on Friday at Emerson Park in Midland.