Minnesota Duluth spoiled the home opener for the Wayne State College softball team Sunday, beating the Wildcats 10-0 and 10-2 at the Chapman Complex.
The Bulldogs struck early on the Wildcats win the opener, scoring three runs in the first inning on five hits and produced four more runs in the second on four more hits to take a 7-0 lead after two innings on their way to the five-inning win.
Wayne State had a pair of hits – singles from Annie Grammer and Kortney Buresh — and loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with a walk to Morgan Vasa, but the Bulldogs got out of the inning with a double play to end the Wildcat threat.
Wayne State had four hits – all singles – in the first game by Buresh, Ashley Hernandez, Taylor Menard and Grammer. Makenna Adkison suffered the pitching loss.
The second game saw Wayne State hold a 2-1 lead early on the Bulldogs, but Minnesota Duluth used a pair of four-run innings in the fourth and fifth to complete the sweep with a six-inning finish.
Wayne State scored first as the Wildcats used a walk to Vasa followed by a Bulldog throwing error and a RBI groundout by Hernandez that scored Vasa for a 1-0 Wildcat lead.
After Duluth knotted the score in the top of the second, the Wildcats regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a solo homer from Emily Chandler over the center field fence.
The Wildcats maintained that lead until the Bulldogs came up with four runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth inning, helping them close out the sweep.
Wayne State finished with three hits in the game, led by Chandler’s solo homer. Abbie Hix doubled and Taylor Menard singled for the remaining Wildcat hits. Maddie Moser was tagged with the pitching loss.
The Wildcats (9-12, 0-4 NSIC) will be at home again Monday hosting St. Cloud State in a NSIC doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
