The Wayne High softball team will get a wild card into this week’s district play after dropping a 12-7 decision to Aquinas in the C-5 subdistrict final Monday at the Wayne Summer Sports Complex.
Wayne opened the tournament with a 12-0 shutout over Wilber-Clatonia, breaking the game open with eight runs in the third inning to end the game on the 12-run mercy rule.
Wayne scored two in each of the first two innings. Nyla Bolles and Delaney Kruse both scored on wild pitches in the first frame. In the second, Bolles scored again on a passed ball and Taytem Ellis singled Liberty Titiml home to make it 4-0.
In the third, Jersi Jensen and Kierah Haase got things going by scoring on two wild pitches. Bolles singled home Jordyn Gamble and came home on a fielder’s choice. Kruse followed with a two-RBI double and a single by Haase brought her home with the game-ending run.
Kruse had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the seven-hit effort. Bolles scored three times and Titiml came home twice. Haase had two hits. Sammi Gubbels threw a three-hitter, striking out six and walking one.
After Aquinas outlasted Milford 6-2 in the other semifinal, the Monarchs kept the bats warm with a six-run outburst in the first inning.
Wayne rallied with three in the second before Aquinas added to their lead, outhitting Wayne 12-10 and earning the automatic bid to Friday’s district finals.
Mackenzie Nissen hit a three-run homer in the second to get the Blue Devils on the board. Gubbels had a two-run single and Bolles added an RBI double in the fifth inning to get Wayne within four at 11-7, but Aquinas added another run in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Bolles and Nissen both had three hits in the game while Gubbels added two. Haase and Nissen scored two runs apiece. Nissen took the pitching loss.
The 21-6 Blue Devils are assured of a wild card spot when the district finals are announced by the NSAA on Tuesday.
