Releaes courtesy of the Wayne State University Sports Information Department

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The most successful season in Wayne State University softball history concluded Saturday afternoon as the No. 7-ranked Warrior squad (52-13 overall) lost a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to fourth-ranked Metro State (52-5) in an elimination game in the 2010 Division II College World Series.

Each team stranded a runner in the opening inning as WSU senior shortstop Jaci Banton (Richmond Hill, Ont./Cardinal Carter) had a one-out single and moved to second on a ground out, but a strikeout ended the frame.

Wayne State senior pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) allowed a one-out single in the second but retired the next two Roadrunner hitters.

In the bottom of the third, senior Nicole Abel (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's) led off with a single to center on an 0-2 pitch.  However, a pop out, a fielder's choice and a strikeout ended that Warrior threat.

Meanwhile, Hanes retired eight consecutive batters until Metro State's Molly Clark blooped a single down the right field line leading off the fifth.  She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third when a Roadrunner batter struck out but the dropped third strike required a throw to first.  The next batter hit a grounder between third and short that hit something in the infield and took a wicked hop past the WSU third baseman, but Banton gathered the ball deep in the hole at short and her rushed throw skipped past the first base bag.

The Warriors had a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth by catcher Brittany Omelanchuk (Brooklin, Ont.).  Pinch-runner Kassie Snyder (Marine City, Mich.) went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Steph Foreman (Cambridge, Ont./Preston) and following a ground out, Lauren Histed (Shelby Twp., Mich.) hit a blopper over second base that would have scored Snyder with the tying run, but Metro State shortstop Amber Roundtree made a diving catch behind the bag.

In the bottom of the sixth, Rebecca Stanley (Waterloo, Ont.) and Becca Ryan (Westland, Mich.) had back-to-back two-out singles but a strikeout ended the inning.

Omelanchuk had a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh.  After a foul out, Abel hit a liner up the middle that was snared by the pitcher who doubled pinch-runner Bailey Reid (Guelph, Ont.) off first to end the game.

Hanes (42-8) struck out six and did not walk a batter while limiting the Roadrunners to three hits and one unearned run.

Metro State pitcher Christie Robinson (29-3) tossed the shutout despite allowing five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

WSU shattered the previous school record for wins (43 in 1993) by winning 52 games.

The Warriors graduate four seniors in pitchers Nicole Abel and Casey Hanes, shortstop Jaci Banton and left fielder Stephanie LeClair.