Game 1 - Wayne State 2 Mary 0

Game 2 - Mary 4 Wayne State 0

            The Wayne State College softball team closed out the regular season Sunday with a split at home against the University of Mary as the Wildcats used a complete-game shutout from sophomore starter Sara Scheffert to win the opener 2-0 but fell in the nightcap 4-0 when the visiting Marauders scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning.  WSC is now 26-14 overall and 17-9 in the NSIC heading into next weekend's NSIC Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota.
            The first game saw Scheffert pitch a complete-game shutout while pinch-hitter Tiffani Housh came through with a clutch RBI single in the sixth inning to help the Wildcats win the opener 2-0.
            WSC scored in the third inning when Michelle Thille led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kylee Simpson.  Thille advanced to third on Jordan King's single and scored on a Mary throwing error to give WSC a 1-0 lead.
            The score stayed the same until the bottom of the sixth inning when WSC added an insurance run for a 2-0 lead.  Sam O'Brien reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a Lexie Loos single.  Tiffani Housh then pinch hit for Megan Hagemann and came through with a single down the right field line that scored O'Brien for the 2-0 advantage.
            That's all the support needed for Scheffert, who improved to 15-6 on the season with the shutout win.  She allowed six hits while striking out four and walking one.
            WSC had eight hits in the first game to Mary's six.  Vicki Nielsen was 2 for 3 with a double while Jordan King added two singles.  Lexie Loos, Sam O'Brien, Michelle Thille and Tiffani Housh each added singles in the win.
            The second game saw Mary score four runs in the top of the seventh inning on three hits and one Wildcat error as the Marauders salvaged a split with the 4-0 win.
            Mary held an 8-5 edge in hits over WSC in the second game.  Kylee Simpson was 2 for 3 with a double to lead WSC in hitting while Loos was also 2 for 3 with a pair of singles.  Michelle Thille had the other Wildcat hit with a single.
            Reliever Cassy Miller (4-2) suffered the pitching loss replacing starter Kelcie Bormann.  She worked three innings and allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts. 
            Wayne State will play in the 2013 NSIC Softball Tournament scheduled to be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday May 2-4 in Rochester, Minnesota with pairings to be announced Sunday night by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.