FINDLAY, Ohio -- The Wayne State University softball team (38-17-1) recorded a 5-3 triumph over Tiffin University (23-22) in the opening round of the 2015 GLIAC Tournament being held at the Marathon Diamond Sports Complex in Findlay, Ohio.

After retiring six of the first seven Dragon batters, sophomore pitcher Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont. / Centennial C.V.I.) walked TU's leadoff hitter in the third, Kailee Flowers, on seven pitches.  A pop out and a ground out preceeded an RBI single by Kaitlin Gruenewald.

The Warriors responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame.  Butler lined a 1-0 offering into centerfield, and freshman outfielder Kristen Lucas (Newmarket, Ont. / Mulock S.S.) and senior second baseman Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.) followed with back-to-back bunt singles.  After a foul out, junior third baseman Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont. / St. James Catholic) laced an RBI single down the left field line which scooted past Tamara Link allowing both Lucas and Fulton to score after Butler.

Tiffin pulled within a run in the top of the fourth on a one-out walk to Payton Denman followed by an RBI double to left off the bat of Jena King.

WSU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Freshman designated player Kylee Barrett (Croswell, Mich. / Croswell-Lexington) laced a double into left field that Link had to make a sliding stop on to prevent it going to the fence.  After a sacrifice bunt by junior center fielder Shannon Hilton (Gilford, Ont. / Bradford), Butler lined a 1-1 pitch into left field scoring Barrett.  Lucas advanced Butler to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Fulton plated Butler with an RBI single up the middle.

With a three-run lead, Butler set down six of the next seven Dragon hitters before a leadoff home run by Link in the top of the seventh.  Butler re-grouped and ended the game with a strikeout, lineout to short and a ground out to third.

Butler improved to 21-7 on the season.  She struck out five and walked three while allowing three runs on four hits.  Kelsey Yaratch (0-5) started in the circle for Tiffin and surrendered five runs (four earned) on nine hits in four innings of work.  Sarah Brown retired six of the eight WSU batters she faced allowing two runners both on walks.

Butler also led the Warriors at the plate by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk, while Fulton contributed two hits, a run and an RBI.

Wayne State will play Walsh at 4 p.m. on Friday in a winner's bracket semifinal game.