Four Wayne State pitchers limited Southwest Baptist to just seven hits in two games as the Wildcats recorded a non-conference softball sweep by scores of 12-2 and 4-0 in Bolivar, Missouri Monday afternoon. WSC is now 3-3 on the season while Southwest Baptist drops to 1-10.
In the opener, the Wildcats broke open a close game with an eight-run sixth inning while junior reliever Maddie Moser allowed just two hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings of relief giving the Wildcats a 12-2 win in six innings.
The host Bearcats opened the scoring with one run in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead, but WSC scored twice in the third for a 2-1 lead on a Clare Reinhart RBI single and RBI groundout from Kamryn Sparks.
SBU tied the game at 2-2 with a single run in the fourth, but the Wildcats took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth and erupted for six runs in the sixth for a 12-2 win.
In the fifth, Ashley Hernandez connected for a two-run homer that scored Kim Vidlak (walked).
The sixth inning saw the Wildcats produce six hits in the inning to score eight runs. Key hits were two-run singles from Emily Hale and Reinhart along with an RBI double by Paiton Tornberg.
Wayne State had 10 hits in the game to just two for Southwest Baptist. Reinhart was 3 for 4 with three RBI while Kortney Buresh finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Hernandez homered and had three RBI while Tornberg doubled.
Moser (1-0) earned the win with a stellar outing in relief, working 5 1/3 innings and allowing just two hits and one run with one strikeout and four walks. Starter Sloan Cooksey pitched the first 2/3 innings and walked two batters allowing one run.
The second game saw Makenna Adkison and Hadley Chvatal combine on a five-hit shutout as the Wildcats completed the sweep with a 4-0 win over the Bearcats.
The Wildcats got off to a strong start with a three-run first inning. Buresh led off the game with a single and came home on a two-run blast from Sparks. Hernandez singled and later scoring on a SBU fielding error for the third run of the inning.
Wayne State scored again in the second as Kim Vidlak singled and scored on an RBI single from Sparks.
That was all the offense the Wildcats would need with the solid pitching duo of Adkison and Chvatal as Adkison fired four innings of two hit ball with two strikeouts and one walk while Chvatal worked the final three innings and gave up just three hits with one strikeout.
Wayne State held a 9-5 advantage in hits over Southwest Baptist. Sparks went 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBI for the Wildcats. Buresh had two singles and scored one run. Vidlak, Herrnandez, Reinhart, Michaela Smith and Molli Vasa each singled for WSC in the win.
Adkison (1-0) earned the pitching win while Chvatal notched the save with three scoreless innings to end the game.
Wayne State will play at the Emporia State Tournament in Kansas Friday, Saturday and Sunday playing five games in three days, starting Friday at 10 a.m. vs. Northwest Missouri State.
