Game 1 - Wayne State 1 #10 Augustana 0
Game 2 - Wayne State 4 #10 Augustana 3
The Wayne State College softball team capped an unbeaten season at home Saturday afternoon by sweeping league-leading and 10th-ranked Augustana College in thrilling fashion 1-0 and 4-3. The Wildcats moved to 34-13 overall and 22-4 in league play, one-half game behind Augustana College who is now 22-3 in the league and 41-7 overall. Wayne State finished 18-0 at home this season and has now won 26 consecutive games at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex dating back to April 25, 2010.
The first game saw both teams have scoring opportunities before coming up empty until the sixth inning. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning as Aeriell Earleywine reached on a single while Sam Earleywine singled and Jennifer Radley walked. But Augustana pitcher Ashley Meyer got out of the jam as the Wildcats left seven runners on base in the opening three innings of play. Augustana left two runners on in the second inning and had another runner reach third base in the fifth inning, but both times Wildcat starter Katie Goetzinger answered the call and got out of both jams for WSC.
The Wildcats scored the games' only run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Radley led off the inning with a walk. Pinch runner Heather Cook then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Blaire Kuhl and went to third on a Goetzinger groundout. Slone Masters then reached base on a fielding error by Augustana third baseman Traci Fransen to score Cook with the only run of the game.
Augustana had four hits in the game to just two for the Wildcats. Sam Earleywine doubled and Aeriell Earleywine singled for the lone WSC hits. Katie Goetinger earned her 10th shutout of the season on the mound for Wayne State throwing all seven innings, allowing four hits with five strikeouts to improve to 26-6 on the season.
The second game saw the Wildcats get on the board early as Radley drove in Aeriell Earleywine on an RBI single up the middle to give the 'Cats a 1-0 lead after one inning. The Vikings tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the second, but WSC came right back and took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the frame as Slone Masters walked, went to second on a Brittany Greenwood single and scored on a Kassie Nurton single up the middle for WSC.
Augustana plated single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to grab a 3-2 lead. But WSC came up big in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring two runs to win in dramatic fashion. Masters led off with a walk and was safe at second on a throwing error by Augustana pitcher Chelsey Durland on a sacrifice bunt play by Greenwood. Aeriell Earleywine's groundout moved Masters to third and Greenwood to second with two outs. Dani Sandel tied the game at 3-3 with a single up the middle to score Masters and then with Sam Earleywine at the plate Durland delivered a wild pitch that scored Greenwood with the game-winning run giving Wayne State a thrilling 4-3 win.
WSC had six hits in the second game as Nurton finished 2 for 3 with an RBI. Sandel, Radley, Kuhl and Greenwood also singled for the Wildcats. Goetzinger pitched all seven innings to earn the win, now 27-6 on the year. The senior from Harlan, Iowa allowed nine hits and three runs with four strikeouts and no walks.
Wayne State will be the second seed in next week's Northern Sun Conference Softball Tournament to be played Thursday-Saturday May 5-7 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Pairings will be announced by the league office late Monday following the results of three makeup league doubleheaders scheduled for Monday afternoon.
