Game 1 - Wayne State 6 Northern State 4
Game 2 - Northern State 10 Wayne State 3
Kim Vidlak and
Jenna Etmans each hit home runs for Wayne State in the opener, helping the Wildcats to a 6-4 win over Northern State followed by a 10-3 Wolves win in the second game of a Northern Sun Conference softball doubleheader played Saturday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne. WSC is now 5-27 and 2-18 in the NSIC while NSU is 22-12 and 13-7 in conference play.
A five-run second inning fueled Wayne State in the opener as the Wildcats held off a Northern State rally for the win.
Etmans led off the second inning with a single and scored on a
Kortney Buresh single for the first run of the inning.
Paiton Tornberg walked,
Emily Hale singled and Vidlak then blasted a home run over the left field wall for a grand slam giving the Wildcats a 5-0 lead.
Both teams scored single runs in the third with the Wildcat run coming on a solo homer from Etmans for a 6-1 WSC advantage.
Northern State produced three runs in the fourth to cut the Wildcat lead to 6-4.
The Wolves had the tying run at second base in the sixth inning, but starter
Sloan Cooksey got out of the inning without any runs scoring and WSC held on for the 6-4 win.
WSC had nine hits in the win, led by Etmans going 3 for 3 with two runs scored and a home run. Vidlak ended 2 for 3 with four RBI while Hale was 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and a run scored. Buresh and
Riley Holmberg also singled for the 'Cats.
Cooksey fired a complete game win in the circle, allowing four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
The second game saw the visiting Wolves bounce back with a 10-3 win over the Wildcats, pounding out 14 hits in the win.
NSU held a 7-0 lead after four innings. The 'Cats got on the scoreboard with three runs in the fifth as
Kamryn Sparks recorded an RBI double to bring home Hale while Etmans drove home two runs scoring Sparks and Vidlak (error) to make the score 7-3.
The Wolves added two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh for the final 10-3 score.
WSC had nine hits in the game, led by Hale going 2 for 3 with a run scored. Tornberg and Buresh each went 2 for 4 while Sparks was 2 for 3 with an RBI and run scored.
Senior
Maddie Moser suffered the pitching loss, working 5 2/3 innings. Freshman
Callie Carraher also worked 1 1/3 innings.
Wayne State will host MSU Moorhead Sunday at 12 p.m. in an NSIC doubleheader.