DETROIT -- The 11th-ranked Wayne State University softball team (39-6 overall, 18-2 GLIAC) swept visiting Lake Erie College (16-24 overall, 7-15 GLIAC) Friday afternoon at the WSU Softball Stadium. The Warriors blanked the Storm 5-0 in the opener and recorded a 5-2 triumph in the nightcap.
GAME ONE RECAP
Redshirt junior pitcher
Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) broke the school record for career shutouts and equaled the WSU all-time mark with her 72nd victory despite a rough beginning. The first two Lake Erie batters reached on infield singles, before Butler settled down and retired the next 12 Storm hitters until Darrien Yanek led off the fifth with a single to left. Following LEC's third hit, Butler retired the final nine Storm batters of the game.
Meanwhile, the Warrior offense scored once in the bottom of the first, then added runs in the fourth (two), fifth and sixth innings.
Butler notched her 100th career RBI with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first on a 1-1 offering. It would turn out to be Butler's sixth game-winning RBI of the season.
In the fourth, freshman shortstop
Hannah McClounie (Essex, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) had a one-out bunt single, and sophomore second baseman
Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) followed with a bunt single. Senior catcher
Ali Lince walked (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) after a successful double steal. With two outs, Butler's grounder to second was mishandled allowing both McClounie and Barrett to score.
Three consecutive singles to start the fifth produced WSU's fourth run. Senior third baseman
Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) had a bunt single, sophomore outfielder
Kristen Lucas (Newmarket, Ont. / Mulock S.S.) ripped a 2-1 pitch through the right side moving McGarr to third. Senior designated player
Shelby Spano (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) followed with a single through the left side.
Butler smacked a one-out double down the right field line in the sixth and Buchanan followed with an RBI single.
IN THE CIRCLE
Butler (23-3) allowed three hits, but struck out six and did not walk a batter in recording her eighth solo shutout of the season (she has also combined on two other whitewashes).
Allyson Deemer (9-14) went the distance for LEC surrendering five runs (three earned) on 10 hits in six innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Butler went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while McGarr also had two hits. The top seven batters in the Warrior lineup each had at least one hit.
LEADING THE OPPOSITION
Kate-Lynn Urgo and Marissa Rizzo each had first inning infield hits.
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Wayne State let a two-run lead slip away before rallying for a 5-2 win in game two of the twinbill.
WSU broke a scoreless draw in the top of the second as Barrett had a one-out single to right and moved to second on a two-out single to left by senior first baseman
Gabby Williams (South Lyon, Mich.). Butler then drilled a 1-0 pitch just over the outstretched glove of the Storm right fielder on the warning track producing the game's first two runs.
Lake Erie scored once in the bottom of the fourth on a pair of doubles by Savannah Karako and Allyson Hajnosz, then knotted the game at 2-2 in the fifth on a leadoff ground-rule double by Lindsey Valvoda and a two-out RBI double by Urgo.
The Warriors responded in the top of the sixth as McGarr had a leadoff single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lucas. Spano worked a four-pitch walk before a fly out. Barrett fell in an 0-2 hole, took two pitches off the plate, fouled off the next two pitches before working the count full and hammering the 3-2 offering deep over the left field fence plating McGarr and pinch-runner
Hailey Lazarek (Allen Park, Mich.).
The Storm had a one-out single followed by a double in the sixth but back-to-back strikeouts by Butler in relief ended the frame. She then set down LEC 1-2-3 in the seventh.
IN THE CIRCLE
Senior
Mackenzie Boehler (Saginaw, Mich. / Swan Valley) pitched the first 4.2 innings allowing two earned runs on four hits. She struck out two and did not walk a batter before Butler came on in the fifth after the game-tying double by Urgo. Butler retired seven of the nine batters she faced recording two strikeouts and allowing two hits to become the all-time winningest pitcher in school history with 73 wins. She passed Casey Hanes (2009-10) and Jenni Smith (1990-93), who both finished with 72 victories.
Hannah Shevenell (6-7) tossed a complete game for Lake Erie allowing five earned runs on eight hits in seven innings with one strikeout and two walks.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Butler went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while both McGarr and Barrett contributed two hits with Barrett driving in a game-high three runs.
LEADING THE OPPOSITION
Hajnosz had two of Lake Erie's six hits, and one of their two RBI.
UP NEXT
Wayne State will host Ashland for a GLIAC doubleheader on Saturday with Senior Day ceremonies slated for 12:45 p.m., followed by the first pitch at 1 p.m.
