The Wayne State softball team dropped a pair of one-run losses to William Jewell in non-conference softball Saturday in Liberty, Missouri by scores of 2-1 and 1-0. The host Cardinals are now 8-8 overall while WSC drops to 7-5.
Both games saw the host team use late inning rallies to knock off the Wildcats. The opener saw WJC score twice in the fifth inning to edge the 'Cats 2-1 and in the second game belted a sixth inning solo homer for the lone run of the game handing WSC a 1-0 setback.
In the opener, WSC had just two hits in the contest both coming in the third inning.
Hayley Murphy singled and scored on a one-out triple by
Jordyn Klein. Klein later tried to score on a fly out but was gunned down at home plate denying the 'Cats a second run in the inning.
The score stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when the host Cardinals scored two runs on a pair of hits for a 2-1 lead and the win.
WJC had six hits in the opener to just two for WSC. Klein had an RBI triple with Murphy adding a single and run scored.
Redshirt freshman
Kennadi Borngrebe was the hard-luck loser in the circle, fanning 12 batters while allowing just two runs on six hits in the defeat.
The second game was just as heartbreaking for the Wildcats as the contest was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when Willilam Jewell connected for a solo homer for the only run of the game in a 1-0 Cardinal victory.
Wayne State had two innings with scoring chances. In the third with two outs, Klein and
Leah Chance both singled to put runners on first and second.
The 'Cats got back-to-back hits again in the sixth inning when Chance and
Emilee Marth singled, but WSC could not get a run across the plate.
WSC had one more hit in the game than WJC 4-3. Chance was 2 for 3 with a pair of singles while Klein and Marth each singled.
Starter
Grace Lucka worked the first five innings for WSC and allowed just two hits and no runs with seven strikeouts. Senior reliever
Samantha Felt was tagged with the loss in the sixth allowing one run on one hit.
Wayne State and William Jewell meet again Sunday with the first game starting at 11 a.m.