ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The 10th-ranked Wayne State University softball team (47-8 overall) battled through 10 scoreless innings with Maryville University (39-14 overall) before the Saints tallied once in the top of the 11th for the 1-0 extra inning triumph.

The Warriors will play later today against Missouri-St. Louis, the winner of an elimination game vs. Truman State.

WSU junior pitcher Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) stranded 10 Maryville runners through the first 10 innings.  This included a bases loaded one out situation in the top of the fourth as the Warriors turned an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.

The Saints' first two batters in the top of the eighth reached on a single and a Wayne State miscue (one of five errors in the game by the Warriors).  Butler retired three of the next four batters on a sacrifice bunt, a ground out and another ground out following an intentional walk.

After having two-out base runners in both the second and third innings, WSU loaded the bases in the fourth on a one-out walk to Kristen Lucas (Newmarket, Ont. / Mulock S.S.), followed by a single from Shelby Spano (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) and Hannah McClounie (Essex, Ont. / St. Anne Catholic) being hit by a pitch.  However, the next two Warriors were retired.

Butler had a one-out double in the fifth but the next two hitters flied out.  Spano had a one-out single in the sixth but pinch-runner Megan Guitar (Croswell, Mich.) was out trying to steal third.

Lucas had a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, but WSU was unable to get a bunt down and the next three batters were retired.

Butler laced an 0-2 offering from Maryville hurler Wendy Macias in the bottom of the 10th but the Saints right fielder tracked the ball down on the warning track.

In the top of the 11th, MU shortstop Alex Flasch singled to center field and pinch-runner Sheridon Sprague went to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Casey Ward hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Sprague with the lone run of the game.

IN THE CIRCLE

Butler (28-5) allowed one run on four hits in 11 innings with four strikeouts to two walks.  It was the first earned run she had allowed after the fourth inning all season.

Macias (22-3) blanked Wayne State on six hits with seven strikeouts to two walks.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Butler, Lucas and Spano each had two hits with Butler's double being the lone extra-base hit of the contest.

LEADING THE OPPOSITION

Flasch and Kelsey Martin each had two hits, while the rest of the lineup was 0-for-31.

NOTES:
Wayne State stranded eight runners as the team combined to leave 18 runners on base.

Senior first baseman Gabby Williams (South Lyon, Mich.) set a WSU single-game record with 22 fielding putouts.