ROSEMONT, Ill. -- After being limited to 15 runs in its first 10 games of the season, the Wayne State University softball team (4-7 overall) recorded 15 hits and scored nine times in a 9-2 triumph over Wisconsin-Parkside (2-7 overall) Sunday afternoon in the Warriors final game of the Lewis Invitational being held at The Dome at the Ballpark.
WSU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as sophomore
Devin Hentschel (Wyoming, Mich. / Rogers) had a leadoff bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman
Kristen Lucas (Newmarket, Ont. / Mulock Secondary School). Junior
Shannon Hilton (Gilford, Ont. / Bradford) followed with an RBI double to center and later scored on a two-out single by freshman
Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington).
The Rangers scored once in the third as ninth-place hitter Emily Bell homered to center. UWP tied the game at two in the fourth as Paige Harbord had a leadoff double to left, moved to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a single by Jordan Nichols.
The Warriors regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Lucas had a leadoff single and continued to second on an error. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hilton then scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
Wayne State increased its lead to 6-2 with a three-run fifth inning. Senior
Emily Bryce (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester Adams) had a leadoff single and pinch-runner
Hailey Lazarek (Allen Park, Mich.) stole second and continued to third on a throwing error. Sophomore
Emily Cava (Brampton, Ont. / Cardinal Leger S.S.) reached on an error that plated Lazarek. Back-to-back singles by Hentschel and Lucas loaded the bases prompting a Ranger pitching change. Hilton was plunked on the first pitch by Courtney Ellingson forcing in Cava. After a force out at the plate and a strikeout, junior
Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) delivered an RBI single to center scoring Lucas.
In the sixth, senior
Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.) had a leadoff single up the middle and advanced to third on a single by Bryce. Cava's sacrifice fly scored Hilton, while another set of back-to-back singles by Hentschel and Lucas scored Bryce. Hentschel scored the game's final run on a single to left by sophomore
Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont. / Galt C.I.).
Senior
Briana Lee (Canton, Mich. / Salem) went the distance in the circle for WSU to improve to 3-2. She struck out 14 and walked one while allowing two earned runs on six hits.
Both Hentschel and Lucas had three hits, while McGarr, Bryce and Buchanan each had two hits.
Carly Dundee (0-3) allowed six runs on nine hits in her four-plus innings of work. She had one strikeout and no walks. Ellingson surrendered three runs on six hits in two innings of action. Ellingson recorded one strikeout and one walk.
Wayne State will plays its final tune-up before the annual spring break trip to Florida by partiicpating in the North Georgia Captain D's Classic on March 7-8.
