Solid pitching and hot hitting helped Wayne State sweep a softball doubleheader from Northern State on Saturday at the Chapman Complex, beating the Wolves 11-2 and 3-0.
In the opener, the Wildcats scored four in the fourth and five in the fifth, ending the game on the eight-run rule with Emily Chandler’s three-run home to left center.
Katelyn Wobken and Melanie Alyea both had two-run singles to highlight the Wildcats’ fourth-inning run, turning a 2-1 edge into a 6-1 advantage.
Northern State scored a run in the top of the fifth, but Wayne State got a two-run single from Wobken before Chandler’s towering blast to left center ended the first game.
Morgan Hoeg had three hits to lead Wayne State’s 12-hit attack. Wobken was 2-for-4 with four RBI’s and scored twice, while Chandler had two hits and three RBI’s. Alyea, Lexie Loos, Sam O’Brien, Alyssa Schropp and Caitlin Fehringer also had hits.
Wayne High graduate Cassy Miller went the distance int he opener, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out seven.
In the second game, three pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout that helped the Wildcats finish off the sweep of Northern State.
Alyea’s RBI single in the first inning got Wayne State the first run of the game. She had another RBI single in the third, scoring Loos to make it 2-0. O’Brien hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, a shot to right field that closed out the scoring.
Loos was 3-for-4 to lead Wayne State’s nine-hit effort. Alyea had two hits and two RBI’s while O’Brien had two hits. Shelby Wobken threw four innings, allowing four hits and striking out one. Miller threw two scoreless innings before Macias retired the side in the seventh for her second save of the season.
The Wildcats (12-17, 7-3 NSIC) will be at home Sunday to host MSU Moorhead in a 12 p.m. doubleheader at the Chapman Complex.
