Wayne State University Athletics

Softball 4/11/2024 2:50:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Softball Begins Second Half of GLIAC Schedule at Parkside and Purdue Northwest

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team (14-19 overall, 6-6 GLIAC), having already played a doubleheader against each of the other six league members, will begin second half of the conference schedule this weekend with twinbills at Parkside (Saturday at 1 pm ET) and Purdue Northwest (Sunday at 1 pm ET). The Rangers are 11-24 overall and 2-8 in the GLIAC, while PNW is 21-17 overall and 6-6 in the conference.

SERIES HISTORY
After sweeping the Parkside in two high-scoring affairs in Detroit last month (March 30th) by scores of 9-7 and 11-7, WSU has a 26-21 edge in the all-time series dating back to 1992. The Warriors have a 10-8 edge in GLIAC regular-season contests since the Rangers joined the conference for the 2019 campaign. The squads have met just eight times previously in home games for Parkside with each team winning four times. Two of those prior match-ups were moved to Rosemont, Ill. in 2022 due to weather.

PNW and WSU met on March 29th in Motown with each team winning once. The Pride rallied for a 5-3 triumph in the opener before WSU had a walk-off single to win 4-3 in the nightcap. Purdue Northwest has 14-9 advantage in the all-time series, including an 8-2 edge in games played in Hammond, Ind.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Wayne State, who is coming off a sweep of No. 14-Grand Valley State on Wednesday (), is led by junior Rylie Josephson (West Vloomfield, Mich. / Walled Lake Central). Through 12 league games, Josephson is batting .561 (23-for-41) with a .591 on-base percentage. Freshman backstop Logan Forman (Brantford, Ont.) is hitting .394 (13-for-33) with a team-best nine RBI. Graduate student first baseman Becky Hodder (Orangeville, Ont.) leads the squad with eight walks and six sacrifice bunts. Her .439 on-base percentage is second on the team.

WSU's trio of sophomore Sasha Buckberger (Oakville, Ont.), freshman Sydney Long (Grand Blanc, Mich.) and senior Alexis Bonk (New Hudson, Mich. / South Lyon) are a combined 6-6 in the circle. Buckberger paces the squad with a 3.40 ERA, while Bonk has a team-high three wins in league play.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS
Parkside is 2-2 in its last four outings after losing eight straight.

Graduate student left fielder Cassie Rutledge leads UWP in batting at .383 (44-for-115) with 14 extra-base hits and eight stolen bases. Junior center fielder Haley Remington is hitting .373 (38-for-102) with a team-high 27 RBI. Sophomore catcher/third baseman Mia Johnson is also batting over .300 at .364 (40-for-110) with a team-best 13 doubles.

The Rangers have used six pitchers this spring with junior Olivia Masnica having thrown the most innings (64.0). She has a 4-4 record with a 4.05 ERA and 28 strikeouts. Sophomore Ellie Curtis is 1-6 with a 4.01 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.

Kristin Ortman is in her eighth season leading UWP. She was the head coach at Alverno College in Milwaukee the seven years prior to heading to Kenosha. Ortman was a standout Division I pitcher at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where she garnered First Team All-Horizon League honors during her senior season of 2005.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE
Purdue Northwest enters Saturday's doubleheader at home vs. Saginaw Valley with a 21-17 overall record after having a three-game winning streak snapped with a 14-0 setback in five innings at Parkside on Wednesday.

Freshman shortstop Kylie Dugan leads PNW with a .496 average (61-for-123), while graduate student first baseman Selena Michko has team-high totals of five home runs and 27 RBI to go with a .324 batting average (36-for-111). Sophomore third baseman Amanda DeBoer is batting .310 (35-for-113).

In the circle, PNW has used three throwers in senior Maddison Roop (11-5, 1.91 ERA, 97 strikeouts), junior Gabby Paliska (8-9, 2.87 ERA, 70 strikeouts) and freshman Hannah Rafferty-Flatter (2-3, 6.60 ERA, 17 strikeouts).

Fourth-year head coach Tristan (Wilcox) Zink is a 2013 graduate of Aurora University. She was the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Player of the Year in 2013 and was a four-time First Team All-NACC selection as well as an NFCA Division 3 All-Region performer in both 2012 and 2013.

UP NEXT
After this weekend's road trip, Wayne State will host Ohio Dominican on Wednesday at 2 pm for an in-region non-conference doubleheader, before hitting the road to face Saginaw Valley on April 20th (1 PM) and Grand Valley State o April 21st (1 PM).

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Players Mentioned

#15 Alexis Bonk: P; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#14 Sasha Buckberger: P; 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R

#11 Logan Forman: C/UT; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

#16 Becky Hodder: 1B/C; 5' 3"; Graduate Student; L/R

#4 Rylie Josephson: RF; 5' 7"; Junior; L/R

#6 Sydney Long: P; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#15 Alexis Bonk
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: P

#14 Sasha Buckberger
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

#11 Logan Forman
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: C/UT

#16 Becky Hodder
: 5' 3"; Graduate Student; L/R
: 1B/C

#4 Rylie Josephson
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/R
: RF

#6 Sydney Long
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: P