Game 1 - Wayne State 5 Southwest Minnesota State 4

Game 2 - Wayne State 10 Southwest Minnesota State 1 (5 inn.)

            The Wayne State softball team won a midweek doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State in NSIC conference play at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex in Wayne. The Wildcats improve to 8-27 on the season and 5-9 in NSIC play while the Mustangs fall to 7-7 in the league and 15-22 overall. 
            Freshman pitcher Samantha Felt earned both wins for the Wildcats, throwing a combined six innings, allowing just one earned run while giving up three hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
            Both teams started the first game slow with neither team conceding a run in the first two innings. Southwest Minnesota State got on the scoreboard first, plating three runs in the top of the third inning to open up a 3-0 lead.
            With the score remaining 3-0, Wayne State scored three runs in the fifth, knotting the score 3-3. WSC used hits from freshman Lauren Laudick and senior and Kortney Buresh to put two runners on with one out. Laudick scored from third when junior Riley Holmberg grounded out to the shortstop. Senior Kim Vidlak came to the plate with two outs and hit a home run to left field to tie the game at 3-3 through five innings.
            Southwest Minnesota State put up another run in the top of the sixth, but WSC answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Junior Madison Gomez walked to lead off the frame for the Wildcats with Abby Husing coming in to pinch run. Husing advanced to third on a single from sophomore Mary Krystofiak. Husing came around to score on an error by the Mustangs, tying the score 4-4 after six.  
            Wayne State held Southwest Minnesota State scoreless in the top of the seventh.
Holmberg doubled to get on base with one out in the Wildcat half of the inning. Vidlak grounded out but moved the runner to third, putting the game-winning run just 60 feet from home. Sophomore Jenna Etmans hit a single off the outfield wall to walk-off the win 5-4 for the Wildcats.
            Felt (3-7) got credited with the win for the Wildcats, throwing one inning of relief with one strikeout.
            Both teams had eight hits in the contest. Vidlak was the lone Wildcat hitter to record multiple hits, going 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBI.
            The second game started with both teams trading runs, and after the first inning, the score was tied 1-1.
            Wayne State held SMSU scoreless in the top of the second frame. Krystofiak walked to start the inning and junior Paiton Tornberg was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Krystofiak would move to third on a fielder's choice. With runners at the corners, Laudick singled down the left field line to score the first run of the inning, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
            Buresh walked to load the bases for WSC and freshman Hayley Murphy scored on a wild pitch. Buresh would score on a single from Vidlak that also put Holmberg on third. Vidlak would steal second, allowing Holmberg to score on the throw. Through two innings, WSC had a 5-1 lead over the Mustangs.
            Wayne State held the Mustangs scoreless in the top of the third and top of the fourth.
Murphy got to first on a dropped third strike before moving to second on a Laudick single. The pair would each advance on a passed ball before Buresh hit a single to score Murphy and move Laudick to third to push the Wildcats lead to 6-1.
            A Holmberg single scored Laudick. After a groundout that advanced the runners, Etmans reached on an error, with two more runs crossing home plate. Gomez would hit a single to center field to score Etmans, moving the lead to 10-1 at the end of the fourth.     
            Felt (4-7) got her second win of the day, pitching five innings in a complete game effort with two strikeouts and just one run allowed.
            Wayne State outhit Southwest Minnesota State 8-3 in the second game, with WSC again committing no errors compared to three from SMSU.
            Laudick went 2 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the 'Cats while Buresh extended her hitting streak to eight games after getting a hit in both games today.
            The Wildcats are scheduled to be on the road this weekend, playing Friday at MSU Moorhead at 1 p.m. and Northern State Saturday at noon.