Wayne, Neb. — Freshman second baseman Jenna Etmans drove home Ashley Hernandez in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game-winning run, giving Wayne State a thrilling 7-6 extra inning win over Concordia-St. Paul in the first game of a Northern Sun Conference softball doubleheader Sunday at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex in Wayne. Concordia-St. Paul came back to win the second game 7-3 to earn a split, making the Golden Bears 13-11 and 7-3 in the NSIC while WSC is now 4-20 and 1-11 in league play.
WSC trailed 2-0 early in the opener, but a solo homer from Kamryn Sparks in the second and another run in the third inning tied the score at 2-2.
The ‘Cats took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Etmans homered to left center field scoring Sparks, who was hit by a pitch.
Concordia-St. Paul responded with two runs in the top of the seventh and took a 5-4 lead, but WSC sent the game to extra innings in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single from Hernandez.
The Golden Bears took a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth, but WSC came up with big hits in the bottom of the ninth to secure their first league win of the season.
Kortney Buresh led off the inning with a single and scored on a Kim Vidlak double. Hernandez walked and came around to score on the third hit of the game from Etmans, a single to left field, giving WSC the thrilling win.
WSC had 13 hits in the win, led by Etmans going 3 for 5 with three RBI including a homer. Buresh went 3 for 4 with two runs scored while Vidlak was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Sparks homered and scored twice.
Sophomore Sloan Cooksey pitched all nine innings for WSC to get the win, striking out seven.
The second game saw Concordia-St. Paul scored one run in five of the seven innings to gain a split with a 7-3 win.
CSP scored two runs in the first followed by single runs in the second and third for a 4-0 advantage. The Golden Bears added one run in the fifth and two in the sixth for a 7-0 lead.
WSC avoided the shutout with three runs in the bottom of the sixth as Mary Krystofiak and Vidlak each had RBI singles.
Krystofiak was 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI and run scored for WSC while Vidlak went 2 for 4. Buresh, Emily Hale and Etmans each had singles.
Senior Maddie Moser suffered the pitching loss in five innings of work while freshman Callie Carraher worked two innings of relief.
The Wildcats will be on the road next weekend visiting the University of Mary Saturday and Minot State Sunday.
