March 18, 2009
Game 1 - Wayne State 6 Nebraska-Kearney 4
Game 2 - Wayne State 8 Nebraska-Kearney 4
The Wayne State College softball team earned two wins over Nebraska-Kearney on Wednesday afternoon in Wayne. WSC has won three straight games. The 'Cats took game one by the score of 6-4 and defeated the Lopers by the score of 8-4 in game two. Wayne State improved to 13-7 on the year with the wins while Nebraska-Kearney dropped to 7-9 on the season with the losses.
Nebraska-Kearney started the scoring in game one with a single run in the top of the second inning. The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth inning when Wayne State exploded for six runs on just two hits. Sarah Gottschalk, Amber Baird and Blaire Kuhl each walked to load the bases, and Gottschalk scored to tie the game when Samantha Earleywine was hit by a pitch. Brittany Greenwood followed with a two-RBI single up the middle to give WSC a 3-1 lead. Following a Nebraska-Kearney pitching change, WSC's Hannah Engelkamp blasted a three-run homer to boost the Wildcat lead to 6-1. The Lopers responded with two runs in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh, but WSC held on for the 6-4 win.
Nebraska-Kearney had eight hits in game one compared to five for Wayne State, and both teams committed one error. Amy Sandstrom and Hannah Engelkamp each had two hits to lead the way for WSC. Alissa Larsen went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's to lead Nebraska-Kearney. Katie Goetzinger picked up the win on the mound for Wayne State and is now 9-5 on the season. Goetzinger pitched six innings, allowing four runs and seven hits with three walks and eight strikeouts on the day. Amber Baird picked up her first save of the season for WSC, allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout in the seventh inning. Ashley Guyle took the loss on the mound for the Lopers and is 4-4 on the season. Guyle allowed five runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in the game.
Wayne State pounded out 12 hits in game two's 8-4 win over UNK. The 'Cats used a six-run third inning to take control of the game. Hannah Engelkamp and Katie Goetzinger each had two-RBI singles to highlight the big inning for Wayne State. Wayne State tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Blaire Kuhl and Samantha Earleywine. Nebraska-Kearney managed to score three runs in the sixth inning, but WSC again held on for the win.
Wayne State had 12 hits in the contest compared to just six for the Lopers. Nine players for WSC had hits in the game. Blaire Kuhl went 3 for 3 with two RBI's to lead the way for WSC, and Amber Baird added two hits for the 'Cats. Sara Dunn had two hits, and Kirstie Hiatt had a two-run homer for Nebraska-Kearney in the loss. Amber Baird earned the win on the mound for WSC and is 4-2 on the season. Baird allowed just one run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts in five innings of work. Brooke Vollmer pitched the final two innings for WSC, allowing three runs on three hits. Jessie Thomas (3-4) took the loss on the mound for Nebraska-Kearney after allowing six runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Wayne State will travel to St. Joseph, Missouri this weekend for the Missouri Western Tournament where the Wildcats face Pittsburg State and Missouri Western Saturday and Truman State and Northwest Missouri State on Sunday.
