MIDLAND, Mich. -- The 13th-ranked Wayne State University softball team (33-4 overall, 12-0 GLIAC) extended its winning streak to 14 games with a pair of decisive conference wins Thursday at Northwood University (12-16 overall, 3-9 GLIAC).  The Warriors won the opener 10-1 in five innings, then blanked the host Timberwolves 11-0 in five innings in the nightcap.

GAME ONE RECAP

WSU wasted little time scoring three times in the top of the first.  Junior Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) led off the contest with her team-leading 11th double.  Classmate Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont. / Galt C.I.) followed with her team-leading 14th sacrifice bunt.  After senior Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) was hit by a pitch, sophomore Kristen Lucas (    Newmarket, Ont. / Mulock S.S.) reached via catcher's interference to load the bases.  Senior Shelby Spano (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) notched her eighth game-winning RBI of the season with an RBI single to left.  Freshman Hannah McClounie (Essex, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) also singled to left making it 2-0.  Senior Ali Lince (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) was hit by a pitch with two outs plating Lucas with Wayne State's third run of the frame.

The Warriors extended their lead to 5-0 in the third as sophomore Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) reached on a one-out error and scored on a two-out double by senior Shannon Hilton (Gilford, Ont. / Bradford).  Butler plated Hilton with a single up the middle.

Northwood tallied its lone run of the twinbill in the bottom of the third as they put together three singles in a four-batter span.

WSU sealed the game one victory with five runs on three hits in the top of the fifth.  Lince worked a one-out walk, and pinch-runner Hailey Lazarek (Allen Park, Mich.) went to second on a ground out.  Butler walked with two outs and Buchanan's infield single loaded the bases.  McGarr earned an RBI with a bases-loaded walk, and Lucas followed with a two-run single.  Spano greeted relief pitcher Maggie Mullen with a two-run single up the middle.

IN THE CIRCLE

Butler won her 20th game of the year by limiting Northwood to one earned run on four hits.  She struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Vanessa Ewing (3-8) pitched the first 4.2 innings for the Timberwolves.  She was tagged for 10 runs (seven earned) on 11 hits.  Ewing struck out two and walked three.  Mullen retired one of the two batters she faced.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Lucas went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Butler, Buchanan and Spano each chipped in with two hits.  Spano had a team-best three RBI.

LEADING THE OPPOSITION

Four different Northwood batters had a single, with Andria Gietl getting the lone RBI.

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GAME TWO RECAP

The nightcap started off almost identically as Wayne State scored twice in the bottom of the first.  Butler had a leadoff double, and Buchanan reached on a sacrifice bunt throwing error which allowed Butler to score.  Buchanan later scored on a dropped fly ball.

The Warriors pushed their advantage to 6-0 with a four-run bottom of the second.  Barrett had a leadoff walk, and freshman Megan Guitar (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) was hit by a pitch with one out.  Lince scored on a throwing error after a bunt single by Butler.  A single by Buchanan loaded the bases and McGarr delivered an RBI single.  Lucas followed with a two-run single through the left side.

WSU concluded the offensive explosion with a five-run bottom of the fourth.  McGarr had a one-out single before back-to-back walks to Lucas and junior Emily Cava (Brampton, Ont. / Cardinal Leger S.S.).  The next five Wayne State batters garnered RBI -- McClounie singled, Lazarek walked, Lince grounded out, Guitar singled and Butler singled.

IN THE CIRCLE

Senior Mackenzie Boehler (Saginaw, Mich. / Swan Valley) was nearly flawless facing just 16 batters.  She allowed a two-out double in the third to Hayley D'Avilar, but she was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple; and a leadoff single in the fourth to Ashley Lynn.

Boehler (11-2) struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Marissa Tiano (2-3) went the distance surrendering 11 runs (10 earned) on 10 hits.  She walked six and did not strike out a batter.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

The top four batters in the lineup (Butler, Buchanan, McGarr and Lucas) combined to go 8-for-13 with six runs scored and four RBI.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will continue its six-game road trip with a doubleheader on Saturday at Findlay.