DETROIT -- The 25th-ranked Wayne State University softball team (36-12 overall, 15-7 GLIAC) swept visiting Hillsdale College (25-22 overall, 13-9 GLIAC) on Friday afternoon by winning the opener 9-1 in six innings and the nightcap 4-0 to conclude the regular season. The Warriors will finish either second or third depending on the outcome of the make-up doubleheader on Saturday between Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley State.
GAME ONE RECAP
WSU pounded out 15 hits in six innings to claim the opener.
Wayne State scored three times on three hits in the bottom of the second.
Kristen Lucas (Newmarket, Ont.) led off the frame with a walk and
Ashley Messina (Troy, Mich.) had a one-out single up the middle.
Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) doubled in her high school teammate
Megan Guitar (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) to make it 1-0.
Hannah McClounie (Essex, Ont.) then laced the next offering into right center field scoring flex play
Hailey Lazarek (Allen Park, Mich.) and Barrett.
Messina led off the fourth with a single on a swinging bunt that couldn't be located by the HC backstop. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Barrett's sacrifice bunt. McClounie notched her second double of the game as her drive to right center was knocked down by the wind with the Charger right fielder attempting to make a diving catch.
Emma Adams (Rockwood, Ont.) followed with a double down the left field line that was just beyond the outstretched glove of the Hillsdale shortstop.
Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont.) then drilled a 3-1 pitch through the right side plating McClounie to make it 5-0. Pinch-runner
Jamie MacNeil (Brampton, Ont.) scored as
Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont.) was safe on a bunt single to the pitcher.
Butler retired 15 of 16 Hillsdale batters after the first two hitters singled in the first four pitches of the game. The Chargers scored their lone run in the top of the sixth as Cassie Asselta was hit by a pitch, Bekah Kastning walked and Kelsey Gockman delivered an RBI single up the middle. With two runners on base and zero outs, Butler buckled down and recorded three consecutive ground outs.
The Warriors ended the game with a three-run bottom of the seventh. Butler again singled through the right side and Buchanan followed with a bunt single.
Brooke Turkalj (St. Jacobs, Ont.) had a bunt single to load the bases. Lucas produced a two-run single to center field, and Messina plated Turkalj with a one-out single through the right side.
IN THE CIRCLE
Butler (20-8) became the first Wayne State pitcher in school history with four consecutive 20-win seasons. She allowed one earned run on three hits, while striking out three. In fact, only three other pitchers had two 20-win campaigns (WSU Hall of Famers Molly Yetman and Casey Hanes has back-to-back 20-win seasons in their only two years with the Green and Gold, and Jenni Smith in 1992 and 1993.
Dana Weidinger (17-13) suffered the setback after yielding three earned runs on three hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Alexis Newby hurled 3.2 innings and surrendered six earned runs on 12 hits. She had one walk and zero strikeouts.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Messina was 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Buchanan contributed three hits. Butler went 2-for-4 with McClounie smacking two doubles and driving in three runs.
LEADING THE CHARGERS
Asselta was on base all three times with one hit and two hit by pitches.
GAME TWO RECAP
Butler tossed a five-hit shutout in the nightcap as WSU prevailed 4-0 over Hillsdale.
Buchanan had a one-out single to left in the top of the first and continued on to second as the Charger left fielder mishandled the ball. Buchanan advanced to third as a two-out pop up by Lucas was dropped in the infield. Guitar followed with a solid RBI single up the middle scoring Buchanan.
Wayne State completed the game two scoring with three runs in the top of the second. Barrett walked and advanced to second as Adams reached on a one-out error. A wild pitch moved up both runners prompting an intentional walk to Butler. With two outs, Turkalj laced a two-run single down the left field line to make it 3-0. Lucas walked to re-load the bases, before Guitar smacked an RBI single to center with Turkalj being thrown out at the plate despite an attempt at some fancy footwork to get around the catcher.
Hillsdale had at least one base runner in each of the first six innings but were unable to push across a run.
IN THE CIRCLE
Butler (21-8) earned her 48th career shutout which is tops among all active pitchers in all three divisions of the NCAA. She struck out three and walked one while scattering five singles.
Weidinger (17-14) started again for Hillsdale, but was removed after allowing four unearned runs on four hits and five walks in two-plus innings of work. Erin Gordon pitched the final five innings and held WSU scoreless on five hits.She had one strikeout and zero walks.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Guitar was 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Buchanan was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Butler reached base twice, once on a single and once on the intentional walk.
LEADING THE CHARGERS
Amanda Marra had two of Hillsdale's five singles.
UP NEXT
Wayne State will be competing in the GLIAC Tournament at the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay, Ohio. The eight-team double elimination event begins at 10 a.m. on Friday. WSU will either be the second seed (if either GVSU sweeps SVSU on Saturday, or if SVSU sweeps GVSU), or the third seed (if GVSU and SVSU split on Saturday).
