Junior starter Grace Lucka fired a complete game win and senior designated player Dylan Sweeney went 2 for 4 scoring two runs as Wayne State defeated Minnesota State 5-2 Sunday afternoon to earn a split in a Northern Sun Conference softball doubleheader in Mankato, Minnesota after the Wildcats dropped the opener 5-1. WSC is now 8-38 and 4-18 in the league while the host Mavericks are 37-13 and 17-7 in the league.
The opener saw the Wildcats leave 10 runners on base in suffering a 5-1 loss to Minnesota State. WSC only had four hits in the game, but used two Maverick errors, three hit batters and two walks to get base runners but left at least one runner on base in every inning including the bases loaded in the third inning while scoring their lone run of the game.
MSU opened the game with single runs in the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead.
Wayne State got their run in the third inning as freshman Jordyn Rochholz singled and scored on a Louisa Stowman sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1.
But the host Mavericks added two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth for a 5-1 lead and was able to retire the Wildcats when WSC got runners on base to post a 5-1 win.
Minnesota State held a 7-4 edge in hits on WSC. Stowman was 2 for 4 with an RBI for WSC with a pair of singles. Rochholz singled and scored while Jordyn Klein also singled.
Junior Samanatha Felt suffered the pitching loss, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits while junior Grace Lucka worked the final inning of relief.
The second game saw Lucka fire a complete-game win while senior designated player Dylan Sweeney had two hits and scored two runs as the Wildcats gained a big 5-2 win to earn a split with the Mavericks.
Minnesota State scored twice in the third to take an early 2-0 lead.
Wayne State came back with three runs in the fourth, using two hits and two MSU errors to score three times and take the lead.
Sweeney opened the inning with a single and scored on Mary Krystofiak’s single up the middle for the first WSC run. Freshman Emilee Marth had an RBI fielder’s choice to bring home Stowman, who reached on an error, to tie the score at 2-2.
The next batter was catcher Hayley Murphy, who reached on a Maverick error, scoring pinch-runner Payton Kincaid giving the ‘Cats a 3-2 lead.
The score stayed 3-2 until the seventh when WSC picked up a pair of insurance runs for a 5-2 advantage. With two outs and one runner on base – Sweeney reaching on an error – Stowman singled to the pitcher and senior pinch-hitter Morgan Beaty came through with a two-run double down the right field line to score two runs for the ‘Cats.
Lucka then finished the game in the seventh to secure the 5-2 win.
Minnesota State out-hit WSC 11-8. Sweeney was 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and two runs scored. Beaty had the game’s only extra base hit – a double.
Lucka fired her third complete game of the season to record the win, now 6-9 on the season. She gave up just two runs and had four strikeouts with two walks.
Wayne State closes the regular season at home next weekend hosting Concordia-St. Paul Saturday and Winona State Sunday starting at 12 p.m. each day.
