Final Boxscore from Ashland Game

Findlay, Ohio - The Wayne State University softball squad (28-20 overall) won its third game in a row on Saturday, and fourth consecutive elimination contest, with a 3-2 triumph over Ashland University (27-18 overall) at the Marathon Diamonds site of the 2013 GLIAC Tournament.

With the win, WSU advances to Sunday's championship round versus Grand Valley.  The first game is slated for 10 a.m.  If the Warriors win, the "if necessary" game will be played at noon.

In Saturday afternoon's loser's bracket final, Wayne State jumped on Ashland starter Sarah Alley (13-8) for a pair of runs in the top of the first.  Junior second baseman Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.) walked on five pitches to start the game and junior center fielder Logan White (Brantford, Ont. / Johnson C.V.I.) followed with a sacrifice bunt.  Fulton advanced to third on a wild pitch, and following a walk to senior right fielder Stephanie Foreman (Cambridge, Ont. / Preston), sophomore Emily Bryce (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester Adams) singled to right scoring Fulton.  WSU had the bases loaded after freshman third baseman Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) reached on a fielding error.  With two outs, Amanda Burnard (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth) singled to center scoring Foreman but Bryce was thrown out at the plate.

The Eagles knotted the score at two in the bottom of the fourth on three hits and a WSU error.

Wayne State responded in the top of the fifth as White singled with two outs, stole second and scored what would eventually be the game-winning run on a single by Foreman up the middle.

WSU starter Mackenzie Boehler (Saginaw, Mich. / Swan Valley) allowed a leadoff walk in the fifth, but retired the next three AU batters.  In the sixth, Ashland had a pair of hits (double and a single), each preceded by an out then followed by a hit by pitch to load the bases but a strikeout ended the frame.

For the second straight game, Briana Lee (Canton, Mich. / Salem) entered the circle this time for the top of the seventh.  Lee threw nine pitches, seven for strikes, in setting the Eagles down in order with a foul out, a ground out and another foul out.

Boehler earned the win to improve to 17-4.  She allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits in her six innings of work.  Boehler struck out four and walked one.  Lee notched her fifth save of the season with her 1-2-3 seventh.

Alley was tagged with the loss despite allowing just seven hits and three runs (two earned).  She walked two and did not record a strikeout.

Seven different Warriors each had one hit in the contest.