Softball | 2/20/2015 10:46:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The 15th-ranked Wayne State University softball team (3-5 overall) played two in-region games Friday evening on the opening day of the 2015 Lewis University Midwest Region Dome Invitational held at
The Dome at the Ballpark.
The Warriors allowed a first inning run in a 1-0 setback to Illinois-Springfield (4-2 overall) of the GLVC in Friday's opener for WSU. In the nightcap, Winona State rallied for a 4-3 eight inning victory over the Warriors.
The Prairie Stars escaped the top of the first after a leadoff single by senior second baseman
Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.), who was stranded at third. In the bottom of the frame, UIS' Lauren Hollinshead had a leadoff single, went to second on a one-out hit by pitch and scored on a two-out double to left center by Ashli King for the game's only run.
Wayne State had a leadoff double in the top of the third by junior shortstop
Gabby Williams (South Lyon, Mich.), who advanced to third on a bunt single by sophomore
Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont. / Galt C.I.), but three consecutive ground outs were unable to plate Williams with the tying run.
Senior
Emily Bryce (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester Adams) led off the fourth with a single but the pinch runner was picked off first base. Junior third baseman
Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) had a one-out double in the sixth and moved to third on a ground out but the Warriors were not able to get a key hit.
Pitcher
Briana Lee (Canton, Mich. / Salem) walked to lead off the seventh and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter
Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington). A ground out advanced Lee to third, but a pop out ended the contest.
Lee (2-1) struck out 15 to equal a career-high set last year at the Dome vs. Wisconsin-Parkside. It was Lee's 14th career game with at least 10 strikeouts. She allowed the one earned run on six hits with one walk and two hit-by-pitches.
WSU was just 1-for-10 with runners on base.
Taylor Bowlby (2-0) earned the win limiting the Warriors to five hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
In the nightcap, Wayne State allowed a run in the top of the first but tied the game in the bottom of the second as McGarr had a one-out walk, advanced to third on a single by
Shelby Spano (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Devin Hentschel (Wyoming, Mich. / Rogers).
The next inning Barrett had a one-out single, and
Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) followed with a single. Barrett was able to scamper all the way around from first with the aid of a Winona State fielding error. After a ground out, McGarr doubled in Butler for a 3-1 Wayne State advantage.
Winona State tied the game in the sixth with a pair of runs after stranding two runners in the fifth.
In the top of the eight with the international tiebreaker rule in effect, a sacrifice bunt and a single produced the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the eighth, Wayne State had the bases loaded with one out on a walk, a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to Spano. A force out at home and a pop out ended the game.
Butler suffered the loss despite recording seven strikeouts to one walk. Hanna Lythberg earned the win despite walking five with four strikeouts.
Wayne State will play fifth-ranked Missouri-St. Louis and tournament host Lewis on Saturday.
