Wayne State out-hit William Jewell in both games of Sunday's non-conference softball doubleheader in Liberty, Missouri but the Wildcats were on the short-end of the score in both contests falling 4-0 and 3-2. The host Cardinals improve to 10-8 with the two wins while the Wildcats drop to 7-7.
The Wildcats held a 6-4 edge in hits in the opener and 7-1 in the second game, but William Jewell took advantage of timely walks, wild pitches and passed balls by the Wildcats to hand Wayne State their third one-run loss in the last four games.
The opener saw William Jewell score two runs in the fourth and sixth innings to blank the Wildcats 4-0 despite WSC holding a 6-4 advantage in hits.
Leah Chance and
Taylor Coleman each doubled in the first two innings, but were both stranded on base.
The 'Cats put a pair of runners on base in the fourth and again in the fifth but unable to score either frame.
Chance was 1 for 2 with a double and walk while Coleman also doubled for the 'Cats.
Jordyn Klein,
Mary Krystofiak,
Lillie Timm and
Hayley Murphy each singled.
Redshirt freshman
Kennadi Borngrebe (4-3) was tagged with the pitching loss despite not allowing a hit in four innings of work. She allowed two runs on five walks with six strikeouts. Senior reliever
Grace Lucka fanned five batters in two innings of relief and allowed two runs on four hits.
The second game saw the Wildcats limit the Cardinals to just one hit, but host William Jewell rallied with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull out a 3-2 victory.
WSC opened the scoring in the third when freshman third baseman
Maddie Scobee blasted a homer over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead. Chance later doubled and scored on a
Jordyn Rochholz double giving the 'Cats a 2-0 advantage.
WJC got one run back in the fourth on a walk and double to cut the WSC edge to 2-1 and the score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth.
The host Cardinals scored two runs without a hit, using three walks and one Wildcat error scoring runs on an RBI groundout and fielder's choice to grab a 3-2 lead.
The 'Cats got one runner on base in the seventh but could not advance the game-tying run as WSC fell 3-2.
Wayne State had seven hits in the game to just one by William Jewell. Klein was 2 for 3 with a pair of singles to lead the 'Cats followed by Scobee with a solo homer. Chance and Rochholz each doubled.
Starting pitcher
Taylor Coleman (1-2) suffered the pitching loss in five innings of work, allowing just one hit and three runs with eight strikeouts and four walks. Senior reliver
Samantha Felt worked one inning without allowing a hit while striking out one batter.
Wayne State resumes play on Friday (March 7
th) when the Wildcats open their annual spring break trip in Florida facing Clarion (Pa.) Friday morning at 8 a.m. and West Virginia Wesleyan Friday at 10:30 a.m.