TIFFIN, Ohio -- The Wayne State University softball squad entered the final day of the regular season (with Sunday being a rain date) with a 1/2 game lead over Ashland and a 2 1/2 game advantage over third place Saginaw Valley State.  All three teams won twice on Saturday with the Warriors being victorious twice at Tiffin University (23-21 overall, 14-12 GLIAC) by scores of 8-1 and 3-2.

WSU (36-16 overall, 20-3 GLIAC) will play a twice postponed conference twinbill at SVSU (27-16 overall, 17-5 GLIAC) on Sunday, while the Eagles concluded their conference slate with a 21-5 record.  One win by the Warriors on Sunday will earn the Motown crew the No. 1 seed for the league tournament since WSU swept the Eagles in Ashland earlier this spring.

The Warriors took care of business in the opener at Tiffin behind the the four-hit, one-run pitching of sophomore Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.), who won her 10th straight decision.  Butler struck out six and walked one, and didn't allow the run until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

WSU grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second as sophomore Devin Hentschel (Wyoming, Mich. / Rogers) had a one-out double, and following a walk to junior Shannon Hilton (Gilford, Ont. / Bradford) and an out, Butler delivered an RBI single.

Wayne State increased its lead in the third as senior second baseman Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.) had a leadoff walk, one of three free passes she received in the contest (along with going 2-for-2).  Senior catcher Emily Bryce (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester Adams) worked a walk and single by junior third baseman Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) loaded the bases.  Junior Shelby Spano (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) laced a two-run single to make it 3-0.  After back-to-back outs, sophomore first baseman Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont. / Galt C.I.) brought home two more runs with her first career triple.

The Warriors concluded their scoring in the top of the seventh with Hilton earning a one-out walk.  Buchanan reached on a Dragon miscue in the outfield with Hilton scoring on the play.  Butler followed with a single before a wild pitch plated Buchanan.  Lucas singled and Fulton had an RBI single.

Kimmy Reynolds (10-7) went the distance in the circle for Tiffin.  She allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits with one strikeout and seven walks.

Butler had a team-best three hits, while Lucas, Fulton and McGarr each had two hits in the victory.

The nightcap was not for the faint of heart.

WSU junior Mackenzie Boehler (Saginaw, Mich. / Swan Valley), making her first start since March 18, was locked in a pitchers duel with Dragon Kelsey Yaratch.

Boehler retired the first seven Tiffin hitters before back-to-back one-out doubles in the third produced the game's first run.

Wayne State was able to score the equalizer in the bottom of the fourth.  Bryce had a leadoff single and both McGarr and pinch-runner Hailey Lazarek (Allen Park, Mich.) were safe on a fielder's choice.  Both runners advanced a base on a third strike wild pitch.  Following a ground out, Lazarek scored on another third strike wild pitch to knot the game at one.

Neither team scored in the fifth, but the Dragons were able to scratch a run in the sixth.  A leadoff single was followed by a Warrior error putting runners at second and third with no outs.  Boehler struck out the next hitter, but a sacrifice fly plated an unearned run before Boehler was able to get out of the frame on a fly out.

WSU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth and Tiffin had a two-out single in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back pinch hitters for the Warriors were retired before Wayne State mounted an incredible comeback with four consecutive singles.  Buchanan started the hit parade before Butler made it two hits in a row.  After a pitching change for the Dragons, Lucas greeted reliever Sarah Brown with an RBI single to left before Fulton recorded the walk-off single to right scoring Butler with the winning run.

Boehler (4-2) tossed a complete game allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks.

Yaratch hurled 6.2 innings and surrendered three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks.  Brown allowed singles to both batters she faced.

Lucas was the lone Warrior with a multiple-hit effort.