A seventh inning rally fell short for the Wayne State softball team in their 2024 season opener vs. Arkansas Monticello at the Alvy Early Memorial Softball Tournament in Bentonville, Arkansas Friday afternoon as the Wildcats fell 5-3.  The Blossoms from Arkansas Monticello are now 4-3 on the season.
            Arkansas Monticello scored one run in the first and two each in the third and sixth innings for a 5-0 lead.
            Wayne State opened the seventh inning with back-to-back doubles from senior second baseman Abby Husing and freshman shortstop Jordyn Rochholz to score their first run of the season.  After a pair of outs, senior pinch-hitter Dylan Sweeney produced an RBI single to right field scoring Rochholz for the second run and catcher Hayley Murphy added an RBI single to bring home Emilee Marth (hit by pitch) to close the scoring.
            Both teams had eight hits in the contest.  Rochholz, a freshman from Elkhorn, went 2 for 4 in her collegiate debut with a double, RBI and run scored while Klein, a freshman from Millard West HS, also had two hits for WSC.  Husing doubled while Marth and Sweeney each singled.
            Junior Sami Felt started the game in the circle and suffered the pitching loss in four innings of work.  Grace Lucka worked the final two innings in relief.
            The 'Cats play another game this afternoon against Southern Arkansas at the Alvy Early Tournament.