Midland, Mich. -- The Wayne State University softball team (28-24-1) held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 but a three-run Ashland sixth inning propelled the Eagles to a 4-2 victory over the Warriors in the opening round of the GLIAC tournament at Northwood University Friday morning.

WSU freshman pitcher retired 11 of the first 12 AU batters.  Meanwhile, Wayne State scored in the top of the fourth as junior right fielder Alison Allen had a leadoff single up the middle on an 0-1 offering.  Sophomore catcher Brittany Omelanchuk followed with a sacrifice bunt.  Junior first baseman Rebecca Ryan drilled a 1-1 pitch up the middle scoring Allen with the game's first run.

Ashland knotted the score in the bottom of the fifth.  Cayla Seidler hit a leadoff single just over the second base bag ending McLaughlin's no hit bid.  She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a ground out.  Seider scored the tying run when Erica Miller's grounder was misplayed.

The Warriors responded with a run in the top of the sixth as Omelanchuk fell behind 0-2, worked the count to 2-2, then laced an Emlyn Knerem pitch into right center for a double.  Ryan followed with a single up the middle on a 1-0 pitch plating Omelanchuk.

Things unravelled for WSU in the bottom of the sixth as the Eagles scored three times on two hits with the assistance of three Warrior errors.

Lyndsey Brandt reached on an error and Bri Woody followed with a bunt single.  Alyssa Kelley then reached on an error to load the bases.  After a force out at home, Seidler's grounder was mishandled allowing the tying run to score.  Tawna Garver blooped a double down the right field line snapping the 2-2 deadlock.

McLaughlin (16-10) suffered the setback despite limiting the Eagles to three hits and no earned runs.  She struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Knerem, a First Team All-GLIAC pitcher in 2011, improved to 23-6.  She allowed six hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts and one walk.

Both freshman outfielder Logan White and Ryan had two hits for the Warriors, who will face either Ferris State or Saginaw Valley at 2 p.m. today in a GLIAC tournament elimination game.