Late-inning home runs decided both games in Wayne State’s softball doubleheader with No. 13 ranked Minnesota State Thursday at the Chapman Softball Complex.
Minnesota State’s Jess Meidl hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to give the Mavericks a 10-9 win in the opener, while Katelyn Wobken hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the sixth in the second game to give the Wildcats a thrilling 6-5 win to earn a split.
In the opener, Minnesota State hit a two-run homer with two out in the top of the seventh inning to come away with the win.
Wayne State took a 2-0 lead in the first on a solo homer from Wobken and an RBI fielder’s choice by Rachel Shumaker.
The Mavericks tied the game with two runs in the top of the fourth, but Wayne State regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth on Emily Chandler’s RBI single.
Minnesota State erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth for a 7-3 lead, but the Wildcats matched the Mavericks with five in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead at 8-7. Chandler’s three-run double was the key hit of the inning, along with an RBI single from Baylee Rial.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth, with Wayne State’s run coming on a Jordyn Breitbarth RBI single to give the Wildcats a 9-8 lead before Meidl’s seventh-inning heroics gave the Mavericks the come-from-behind win.
Wayne State had 11 hits in the contest, led by Chandler going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI. Wobken was 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI. Relief pitcher Alyx Hagen (1-3) was tagged with the loss. Starter Maddie Moser worked four innings, with sophomore reliever Allison Niemeier pitching one inning.
The second game also had a dramatic end as Wayne State rallied in dramatic style with Wobken’s solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.
The Mavericks opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead, but Wayne State came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to even the score at 2-2 as Shumaker recorded an RBI double while Chandler reached on a fielder’s choice to bring in another run.
The Wildcats took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out solo homer from Jordyn Breitbarth, then added two more in the fifth on two Maverick throwing errors and a Baylee Rial single to take a 5-2 lead.
Minnesota State tied the score with three runs in the top of the sixth on a pair of walks and a Wildcat throwing error and two hits that scored the three runs, setting up Wobken’s heroics with a one-out solo homer to left center field in the bottom of the sixth to give Wayne State the exciting win and a split of the two-game series.
Wayne State had nine hits in the game. Breitbarth was 2-for-3 with a homer and two runs scored. Alyx Hagen was 2-for-2 while Baylee Rial was 2-for-4. Wobken homered while Shumaker had a double.
Wayne State (7-16, 1-3 NSIC) will host Concordia-St. Paul Friday in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the Chapman Complex.
