HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The fifth-ranked Wayne State University softball team (3-3 overall) posted two in-region wins on Sunday on the final day of the 2015 Charger Chillout hosted by the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
The Warriors began the day with a 3-1 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan before recording a 4-2 triumph over 21st-ranked Indianapolis in the nightcap.
WSU snapped a scoreless draw in the top of the third against the Panthers.
Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont. / Galt C.I.) reached on a bunt base hit and
Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.) followed with another bunt base hit. After a sacrifice bunt by
Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington),
Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) followed with a two-run triple to left center. Butler then scored on an
Emily Bryce (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester Adams) ground out.
KWC scored its lone run in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff double, a ground out and a single.
Wayne State starter
Briana Lee (Canton, Mich. / Salem) went five-plus innings before Butler notched her first save of the season by retiring all six batters she faced, including four on strikes.
Lee improved to 2-0 by allowing one earned run on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
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In the win over the Greyhounds, the Warriors struck in the bottom of the first as Fulton had a leadoff double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Barrett, then scored on a single to right by Butler.
UIndy answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second on four of the five hits they would get in the contest.
Wayne State tallied three runs in the bottom of the fourth for the win.
Bryce had a leadoff single and
Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) followed with a bunt single moving pinch-runner
Hailey Lazarek (Allen Park, Mich.) to second. A bunt single by
Devin Hentschel (Wyoming, Mich. / Rogers) loaded the bases with no outs. Pinch-hitter
Shelby Spano (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) hit a sacrifice fly to knot the game at two, before pinch-hitter
Emily Cava (Brampton, Ont. / Cardinal Leger S.S.) put the Warriors ahead with a single up the middle. Following a strikeout, Hentschel scored when Fulton reached on an error.
Butler retired nine of UIndy's final 11 batters to secure her first pitching win of the season. She struck out six and did not walk a batter in the contest.
Coryn Tirpak started in the circle for the Greyhounds and faced four batters before Morgan Foley finished the contest.
Bryce went 3-for-3 while McGarr had two hits as part of the nine hits for the Warriors.
Wayne State will take the upcoming weekend off from action before returning to the diamond on Feb. 20-22 to play five games at the Lewis Indoor Tournament being held at
The Dome at the Ballpark in Rosemont, Ill.
