ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Wayne State University softball squad (3-1 overall) went 1-1 in its first two games of the Lewis Dome Invitational.  WSU dropped the opener 6-5 in nine innings to Concordia-St. Paul (3-2 overall), before upending tournament host Lewis (2-5 overall) in the second game of the day.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Game Recap
The Warriors scored in the top of the first against the Bears as sophomore Hunter Near (Coopersville, Mich.) drew a leadoff walk, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Brooke Bunch (Almont, Mich.), along with a muffed throw by CSP.  Near ended up scoring the game's first run on a wild pitch.

Wayne State extended its lead to 2-0 in the third as Near and Bunch had back-to-back singles, moved up a base on a double steal, with Near scoring on a single through the left side by junior Molly Hool (Allen Park, Mich.).

The Bears scored once in the fifth on two singles sandwiched around a wild pitch.

Concordia-St. Paul evened the scored at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on a leadoff triple by Riley Rosenthal and an RBI double by Nora Brandt.

Near had a leadoff triple to start the seventh, but was stranded.

WSU pushed across two runs in the top of the eight as the international tie-breaker runner Ellery Garver (Weidman, Mich. / Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart) scored on an RBI groundout by senior Maddie Hool (Allen Park, Mich.) following a sac bunt by Molly Hool.  Molly crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by her twin sister Mia Hool (Allen Park, Mich.).

CSP responded with a two-run single by Danni Sharum to knot the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, international tie-breaker runner Abby Barnes (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview) moved to third on a bunt single by Julia Sandles (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota [UMSL]), then scored on a sacrifice fly by Near.

The Bears tied the game on a ground-rule double by Gabby Martinez, then scored the winning run on a WSU miscue.

WSU left a runner on third base in the first inning, the third, the sixth and the seventh innings, and a runner on second base in both the second inning and the fifth inning, and finished the game 3-for-22 with runners on base, including 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position.

IN THE CIRCLE
Junior Kyra Shadduck (DeWitt, Mich. [Lansing C.C.]) allowed two earned runs on five hits in six innings in her WSU debut.  Senior Hayden Batton (Plainfield, Ind. / Avon) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in her two innings of work.  Sydney Long (Grand Blanc, Mich.) allowed two unearned runs.

Tatum Dunlavy started for CSP and surrendered two runs (one earned) on five hits in 4.2 innings.  Abi Carter (1-0) limited WSU to one earned run (three total) in 4.1 innings, while striking out four and allowing just three hits.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Near went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while Maddie Hool had two hits and an RBI.

The seven stolen bases in the game for WSU were the most in any one contest since at least 2002.

LEADING THE BEARS
Eight different CSP players had one hit.

Second Game Recap
Wayne State came out on first as six of the first seven batters recorded hits.  Near tripled and scored on Bunch's RBI double.  Koopman doubled in Bunch to make it 2-0 just 13 pitches into the game.  After a fly out, Molly Hool had an infield single, sophomore Kate DeWitt (Grand Blanc, Mich.) had an RBI single and Maddie Hool singled to load the bases.  Two more runs scored on an errant throw home by the Flyers to make it 5-0.

Lewis had a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the first by Anna Frafjord following a walk.

WSU increased its advantage to 8-1 with a trio of runs in the fifth.  Molly Hool and DeWitt walked, while a single by Maddie Hool loaded the bases.  Mia Hool followed with an RBI single to make it 6-1.  With one out, Near walked plating DeWitt, while Koopman's RBI single scored Maddie Hool.

The Flyers scored twice in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out two-run single by Jozlynn Pacheco.

IN THE CIRCLE
Long (2-1) went the distance for WSU and allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts to one walk.

Avery Flynn (0-1) surrendered five runs (three earned) on six hits, while recording one out for LU.  Allie Wondrasek held the Warriors scoreless of 2.2 innings on three hits.  Jolee Strohmeyer allowed three earned runs on five hits over four innings of work.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Maddie Hool and Mia Hool each went 3-for-4, while Near, Koopman and DeWitt each had two hits.

LEADING THE FLYERS
Frafjord and Pacheco each had two hits, with Pacheco driving in two and Frafjord notching two doubles.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will play one game on Friday (Feb. 20) at 8 PM Central Time against Minnesota-Duluth.