Wayne State’s softball matchups with Conocordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State were moved to Wayne due to the weather, but the Golden Bears and Mavericks treated the Chapman Complex like its home away from home with doubleheader sweeps.
On Saturday, Emily Chandler hit a game-tying three-run homer in the top of the seventh, but Concordia-St. Paul rallied in the bottom of the inning with a bases-loaded walk-off single to top Wayne State 5-4 to finish off a doubleheader sweep after winning the opener 15-3.
Wayne State scored two runs in the top of the first inning in the opener, but Concordia-St. Paul responded with a five-run first and seven-run second inning to take control. The Wildcats used run-scoring singles from Emily Chandler and Ashley Hernandez in the first inning to take the early lead.
With the Golden Bears leading 12-2 after two innings, Abbie Hix closed the Wildcat scoring with a solo homer over the center field fence. The Golden Bears produced one run in the third and two more in the fourth to finish with the 15-3 win in five innings.
Wayne State finished with five hits in the game, led by Hix going for 2-for-3 with a homer. Kim Vidlak, Chandler and Hernandez each singled. Maddie Moser (3-7) suffered the pitching loss with relief coming from freshman Makenna Adkison.
Wayne State scored first again in the second contest, using an RBI double from Chandler that scored Kortney Buresh for a 1-0 Wildcat lead.
The Golden Bears scored a run in the thrid, two in the fourth and one more in the sixth to take a 4-1 lead into the top of the seventh, but after Vidlak reached on a fielding error and Buresh singled to left, Chandler stepped up to the plate and blasted a three-run homer to right center that knotted the score at 4-4.
The Golden Bears ruined the Wildcat rally, however, scoring with two outs on a bases-loaded walk-off single up the middle to post the 5-4 win.
Wayne State had six hits in the contest, led by Chandler going 2-for-3 with a homer and all four WIldcat RBI. Buresh ended 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Kamryn Sparks was 2-for-4. Riley Vanderveen worked six strong innings, allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Moser relieved in the seventh and suffered the loss.
On Sunday, Minnesota State recorded a 3-1 and 6-1 sweep of Wayne State at the Chapman Complex, dropping the Wildcats to 9-20 overall and 0-12 in NSIC action.
The Mavericks scored all three of their runs in the opener in the second inning, using two hits and a pair of Wildcat walks and one hit batter to score three times.
Wayne State scored their lone run in the top of the third when Vidlak laced an inside-the-park homer down the right field line.
Five different players had hits for the Wildcats, led by Vidlak’s home run. Buresh, Chandler, Hix and Michaela Smith each singled. Adkison fired a complete game in the loss, allowing just six hits and three runs with one strikeout and five walks.
The second game saw the Mavericks score four runs in the second inning to take control of the contest and finish off the doubleheader sweep.
Wayne State scored in the fourth as Annie Grammer had an RBI single to bring home Ashley Hernandez, who singled earlier in the inning.
Both teams had eight hits in the contest. Taylor Menard was 3-for-3 to lead the Wildcats while Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Vidlak, Hix and Grammer also singled. Vanderveen was tagged with loss.
The Wildcats will be at home against Upper Iowa in a doubleheader moved up one day from Wednesday to Tuesday due to weather. Start time is set for 1 p.m. They host Minot State and University of Mary on Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. both days.
