FINDLAY, Ohio – The 22nd-ranked Wayne State University softball team (37-13 overall) began the rain delayed 2017 GLIAC Tournament with a thrilling 1-0 win over Ferris State University (18-23 overall) in 11 innings Saturday afternoon.  The Warriors were then upended, 4-1, in their next contest by the 24th-ranked Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals (33-14 overall).

The setback ended WSU's streak of conference tournament titles at five as rain forced this year's tournament to a single-elimination format.

GAME ONE RECAP

In a classic pitcher's duel, WSU's Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont.) and FSU's Sam Bates both put up zeroes on the scoreboard for 10 innings.

Warrior sophomore shortstop Hannah McClounie (Essex, Ont.) clobbered her second home run of the campaign on the first pitch in the bottom of the 11th sending Wayne State into the semifinals.

WSU out-hit the Bulldogs 9-4, but left 12 runners on base to seven for Ferris State.

IN THE CIRCLE

Butler improved to 22-8 on the season by scattering four singles in her 11 innings of work.  She struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Bates (9-10) yielded the one earned run on nine hits in 10-plus innings of work.  She had one strikeout, while allowing two walks.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

McClounie went 3-for-5, including the walk-off home run.

Brooke Turkalj (St. Jacobs, Ont.) had two hits, while Butler had a single, an intentional walk and reached base twice via an infield error.

LEADING THE BULLDOGS

Four different FSU batters had singles.

GAME TWO RECAP

SVSU's Sam Willman held the Warriors scoreless for the first six innings, and Aubree Mouthaan led off the second inning with her ninth home run of the season.

Cardinal Danielle Hamilton doubled in a run in the third, before Courtney Reeves smacked a two-run double in the sixth.

Wayne State tallied its lone run in the bottom of the seventh as Turkalj walked on four pitches, and Kristen Lucas (Newmarket, Ont.) doubled home Turkalj on the very next pitch.

IN THE CIRCLE

Megan Guitar (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) suffered the setback to fall to 13-4.  She allowed four earned runs on six hits in seven innings of work.  Guitar struck out three and walked one.

Willman (18-6) notched her second win of the day by limiting the Warriors to one earned run on three hits.  She struck out three and walked two.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Butler and Ashley Messina (Troy, Mich.) each had singles in addition to Lucas' double, who also had a walk.

LEADING THE CARDINALS

Mouthaan had two hits and scored twice.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will await word on its NCAA Tournament fate with the NCAA Selection Show slated for 10 a.m. on Monday.  The Warriors were third in the NCAA Midwest Regional rankings last week just ahead of Saginaw Valley State, who was fourth.