The Wayne State softball team ended a frustrating season on the right note Saturday, sweeping Minnesota Crookston 8-6 and 4-3 to close out the regular season with three straight wins.
The Wildcats trailed 5-1 entering the top of the seventh in the opener, but produced seven runs on six hits and three Golden Eagle errors to storm back for the improbable win.
Raquell Penke started the rally with a two-run single that scored Kamryn Sparks and Taylor Menard. Kortney Buresh and Kim Vidlak each added run-scoring singles in the inning. The final runs to cap the rally scored when Emily Chandler reached on an error to bring home Vidlak and Buresh.
Wayne State had 16 hits in the win – all singles, paced by Abbie Hix going 3-for-4. Penke ended 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while Vidlak, Chandler, Menard, Sparks and Morgan Vasa each had two singles.
Maddie Moser pitched a complete-game win for the Wildcats, fanning six batters while allowing just six hits and six runs (one earned).
The second game saw Wayne State build a 4-0 lead, then hold back a Golden Eagle rally in the final two innings to complete the sweep.
Wayne State opened the scoring in the first with two runs when Chandler blasted a two-run homer, scoring Vidlak. The two RBI’s made Chandler the all-time RBI leader at Wayne State with 148, surpassing the previous mark of 146 held by the late Kaiti Williams (2012-15).
Wayne State claimed a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth with two runs as Menard doubled and came home on a Kamryn Sparks two-run blast.
Meanwhile, Wildcat senior starter Riley Vanderveen was shutting down the Golden Eagles, firing four innings of no-hit ball until yielding a leadoff double to open the fifth.
The Golden Eagles scored three runs in the sixth and loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on Wildcat reliever Maddie Moser, but a groundout to first base ended the game, allowing the Wildcats to complete their first conference sweep of the season.
The Wildcats had eight hits in the win, led by two-run homers from Chandler and Sparks. Menard ended 2-for-2 with a double while Michaela Smith, Penke, Vasa and Vidlak each added hits.
Vanderveen was the winning pitcher, working five innings and giving up five hits and three runs. Moser collected her first save of the year with two innings in the circle, allowing one hit with one strikeout and two walks.
The Wildcats end the season 15-32 overall and 6-24 in NSIC play. Saturday’s games marked the final contests for six Wildcat seniors – Emily Chandler, Abbie Hix, Taylor Menard, Baylee Rial, Morgan Vasa and Riley Vanderveen.
