DETROIT -- The 10th-ranked Wayne State University softball team (50-9 overall) allowed four runs in the top of the seventh and fell to Grand Valley State University (42-11 overall) 5-4 in the opening game of the best two-of-three 2016 NCAA Midwest Super Regional Wednesday afternoon at the WSU Softball Stadium.
The start time for game two on Thursday has been moved up to noon, with the "if necessary" game slated for 2:30 p.m.
WSU took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as junior pitcher
Lyndsay Butler (
Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) doubled off the fence in left center to start the frame. Senior third baseman
Jade McGarr (
Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) blooped a one-out single over the Laker second baseman to put runners on the corners. Butler scored on a wild pitch.
After getting a two-out single in the first, GVSU's Ellie Balbach had a single to start the second, but Butler retired the next three batters.
The Warriors added to their lead in the bottom of the second as freshman shortstop
Hannah McClounie (
Essex, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) had a leadoff single to right. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore second baseman
Kylee Barrett (
Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington), who was able to bunt down a high pitch. After an error, a wild pitch and a strikeout, Butler was intentionally walked to load the bases and junior centerfielder
Allie Buchanan (
Cambridge, Ont. / Galt C.I.) singled to score McClounie.
The Lakers had back-to-back two-out singles in the third, but a bouncer up the middle off the bat of McKenze Supernaw was tipped by Butler with McClounie grabbing the ball and stepping on second for the third out.
Wayne State made it 3-0 in the fourth as Barrett had a leadoff single and senior catcher
Ali Lince (
St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) greeted relief pitcher Courtney Reinhold with a sacrifice bunt. Following a ground out, Reinhold stumbled while making a 2-0 delivery to Butler which resulted in an illegal pitch and an earned run being scored by Barrett.
Grand Valley State had runners at second and third with zero outs in the top of the fifth after a leadoff single by Janae Langs and a double by Teagan Shomin. Butler induced back-to-back ground outs sandwiched around a strikeout to keep the Lakers off the board.
GVSU was able to pull within 3-1 in the sixth as Balbach had a leadoff double as the Warrior left fielder got turned around. A ground out advanced pinch-runner Ali Vander Meer to third, where she scored on a two-out single up the middle off Butler's glove with Barrett's throw to first just being late.
WSU made it 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth as McClounie worked a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by Barrett. The Laker shortstop tried to make a diving stop on Lince's hit up the middle but the ball caromed off her glove into center field allowing McClounie to score.
In the top of the seventh, Butler retired the first batter on a ground out, but GVSU put together four consecutive singles to cut the Wayne State advantage to 4-3. A Warrior miscue allowed the tying run to score from second, and after a fielder's choice, Chelsea Horvath hit an RBI single up the middle to snap the 4-4 deadlock.
WSU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh.
IN THE CIRCLE
Butler (29-6) allowed five runs (three earned) on 14 hits with two strikeouts to zero walks. The 14 hits allowed were tied for second most behind the 15 Valdosta State had in the nine-inning opening game of the 2014 College World Series.
Allison Lipovsky started for GVSU and surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits in three-plus innings of work. She recorded one strikeout and one walk with two wild pitches. Reinhold (10-4) earned the win in relief by limiting WSU to one earned run on two hits in three innings of action. Reinhold allowed two walks and did not strikeout a batter. Sara Andrasik pitched a scoreless seventh to earn her sixth save of the campaign.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Butler went 1-for-2 with two walks, with six other Warriors also having a hit. McClounie scored twice on a hit and a walk.
LEADING THE OPPOSITION
Lenza and Balbach were each 3-for-4, while Horvath and Kaylie Rhynard each had two hits.
UP NEXT
Game two of the best-of-three series will take place at noon on Thursday at the WSU Softball Stadium. The Warriors need to win the noon contest to force a winner-take-all game three immediately after the conclusion of game two.
