#17 Wayne State 1 Minnesota Duluth 0 8 inn.
Updated Central Region Softball Bracket
The 17th-ranked Wayne State College softball team opened the NCAA Division II Central Region Bracket #1 Softball Tournament in Wayne Friday with a thrilling 1-0, eight inning win over Minnesota Duluth at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex. Jennifer Radley's bases-loaded infield single with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning drove home Kassie Nurton with the only run of the game.
The contest was a pitcher's duel between Katie Goetzinger of Wayne State and Kristin Danielson of Minnesota Duluth. Both hurlers allowed just two hits in the game and both had no-hitters after four innings of play. Danielson led off the fifth inning for the Bulldogs with a double high off the left field fence. She also doubled in the seventh inning with one out for the only other UMD hit in the game.
Wayne State had its first scoring chance in the second inning as Jennifer Radley reached on a fielding error by UMD shortstop Whitney Olson and Hannah Engelkamp walked to put runners at first and second with one out, but Danielson retired Katie Goetzinger on a strike out and Aeriell Earleywine on a fly out to center field to get out of the inning.
The Wildcats' first hit of the game was a single by Goetzinger down the left field line to lead off the fifth inning.
The lone run of the game was scored in the eighth inning by WSC as Kassie Nurton reached first on a throwing error by UMD's Whitney Olson at shortstop and advanced to second on the throw. Blaire Kuhl walked and Sam Earleywine was hit by the pitch to load the bases for Radley, who hit a line drive to shortstop just off the glove of a diving Whitney Olson of Minnesota Duluth scoring Nurton for the only run of the game.
Both teams had two hits in the game. Singles by Goetzinger and Radley were the lone hits for WSC while Danielson's two doubles were the only hits for the Bulldogs.
Goetzinger improved to 30-8 on the season with the win, pitching eight innings. She struck out 11 without walking a batter. Danielson (17-9) suffered the hard luck loss for the Bulldogs, allowing two hits and one run (unearned) over 7 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.
With the win, Wayne State ties the school record for wins in a season (41) set last year. The Wildcats now face Concordia-St. Paul Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in the winner's bracket final after the Golden Bears blanked #16 Augustana 2-0 in Friday's other first round game. Augustana meets Minnesota Duluth in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. followed by another elimination game at 4:00 p.m. with the WSC/CSP loser facing the Augie/UMD winner.
