Thanks to a 7-6 win over Concordia-St. Paul in the second game of Sunday's NSIC doubleheader in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Wayne State softball team has posted a 30-win season for the first time since 2015. Following an 8-1 loss and 7-6 win over the Golden Bears Sunday, the Wildcats are now 30-23 and 14-13 in league play while CSP is 25-28 and 17-11 in NSIC contests.
Concordia-St. Paul erupted late for six runs in the final two innings to break open a close game in the opener for an 8-1 victory over the Wildcats.
The Golden Bears took a 2-0 lead in the third with a pair of runs with WSC scoring its lone run of the game in the fourth on an
Emilee Marth solo homer to left center field to start the fourth inning.
CSP then put the game out of reach with two runs in the fifth and another four in the sixth.
Wayne State had just four hits in the contest, led by Marth's solo homer.
Jordyn Klein,
Taylor Coleman and
Lillie Timm each singled.
Kennadi Borngrebe suffered the pitching loss, now 13-9 on the year. She recorded eight strikeouts while allowing eight runs on 10 hits in a complete game.
The second contest was a back-and-forth affair as the 'Cats held an early 4-0 lead, then watch CSP rally for a 6-5 lead with WSC coming back in the sixth to score twice for a come-from-behind 7-6 win.
The 'Cats scored single runs in the first and second innings. Borngrebe had an RBI single in the first that drove home Marth while in the second
Leah Chance had an RBI single to bring home
Jordyn Rochholz.
WSC took a 4-0 lead in the third with two more runs as senior outfielder
Lauren Laudick laced a two-run double to left field bringing home Borngrebe and
Taylor Coleman.
The Golden Bears started their rally with three runs in the fourth, but the 'Cats got one back in the fifth to grab a 5-3 lead thanks to a solo homer over the left field fence by Rochholz.
CSP took a short-lived lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to go up 6-5, but the 'Cats came right back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth for a 7-6 advantage thanks to a two-out rally.
Maddie Scobee singled and Borngrebe walked with both players scoring on a double from Coleman to put the 'Cats back in front.
Wildcat reliever
Samantha Felt retired the Golden Bears in order in the sixth and allowed just one runner in the seventh (single) before retiring the next three batters to preserve the team's 30
th win of the season.
WSC held an 11-9 edge in hits over CSP. Laudick and Rochholz were each 2 for 4 at the plate. Laudick had a double and two RBI while Rochholz had a homer. Borngrebe finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored while Scobee also had a pair of hits.
Starter
Grace Lucka worked the first four innings in the circle followed by Felt with the last three. Felt got the win, now 7-5 on the season. She gave up just three hits and one run (unearned).
Wayne State now awaits pairings for the first round of the NSIC Softball Tournament that begins Thursday in Sioux Falls.
