 |
 Sarah Kish drove in the winning run in the top of the eighth. |
April 15, 2006
DETROIT - The Wayne State University softball squad (23-16 overall, 12-2 GLIAC) extended its season best winning streak to nine game with a 6-4 eight inning triumph over Saginaw Valley State University (15-23 overall, 5-7 GLIAC) in the second game of a Saturday afternoon conference twinbill at the WSU Softball Stadium.
The win was also career victory No. 800 for Warrior head coach Gary Bryce, who is in his 25th season at the helm of the Wayne State softball program. Bryce becomes just the ninth softball coach in Division II history and only the 29th in NCAA history (including Division I, II and III) to record 800 career wins.
The Cardinals scored once in the bottom of the second on an infield single by Sara Seronko and once in the third inning on a single by Lindsay Noren to take a 2-0 lead.
WSU scored three times in the top of the fourth to grab a 3-2 advantage. Sophomore infielder Robyn Haig Haig (Waterloo, Ont./Waterloo C.I.) singled on an 0-2 pitch to start the inning. Sophomore Sarah Berry (Acton, Ont.) singled to left field with a 1-2 count. Sophomore infielder Lindsey Perry (Taylor, Mich./Kennedy) then drilled the first pitch she saw from Lorelea Rice over the left field fence for her second home run of the campaign.
The Warriors increased their lead in the top of the sixth as Haig was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Berry reached on an SVSU error, but the next two batters were retired. Junior catcher Sarah Kish (St. Catharines, Ont./St. Francis S.S.) laced an 0-1 offering up the middle scoring Haig.
Wayne State starting pitcher Sarah Ytsma (Chatham, Ont./McGregor S.S.) had retired six in a row including the first two in the bottom of the seventh before Rice reached on a Warrior error. WSU senior pitcher Meghan Misiak (Livonia, Mich./Churchill) entered the game and allowed a two-run home run by Stacy Kraatz to tie the game at four. The next two hitters walked on 3-1 pitches and Ytsma returned to the circle for WSU. After Tabitha Greenwood walked on four pitches to load the bases, Nicole Fick lined out to second to end the frame.
In the top of the eighth, the first two Wayne State hitters were retired but senior third baseman Jordan Sinclair (Chatham, Ont./Chatham Kent S.S.) singled up the middle. Pinch-runner Sarah Teller (Chesterfield Twp., Mich./L'Anse Creuse North) scored from first as Kish doubled over the center fielder's head. Amanda Dowe (Truro, Nova Scotia/Cobequid) had an infield single with Kish scoring on a SVSU throwing error.
In the bottom of the eighth, Marsha Beaubien had a leadoff single and advanced to second on a one-out single by Monica Sims. After a groundout moved up both runners, Ytsma was able to induce Kraatz into a game-ending groundout.
Ytsma won her fourth consecutive decision and did not allow an extra-base hit for the third time in her last four outings. She allowed three runs (one earned) in eight innings with one strikeout to improve her record to 8-4. Misiak faced three batters allowing two walks and a home run. Rice pitched the first three innings for SVSU and allowed three earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Karen Ray (6-13) tossed the final five innings allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with one strikeout.
Notes:
Wayne State is 12-1 in its last 13 games.
The Warriors are 14-2 in games played at the WSU Softball Stadium.
WSU 11-1 during its current homestand which concludes on Tuesday with a GLIAC doubleheader against Hillsdale.
Lindsey Perry tied a personal season-high with three RBI.
Becky Quinn earned a walk for the third consecutive game.
Gary Bryce's all-time WSU softball coaching record is 800-516-6.
Seven different Warriors accounted for the nine hits with Jordan Sinclair and Sarah Kish each recording two hits.
With her run scoring single in the sixth, Kish is batting .531 (17-32) with runners in scoring position this season.
Sue Verbeem recorded her 53rd career double, one shy of Kelly Kashmerick (1999-2002) for second place on the WSU all-time list.
Sophomore Robyn Haig moved into a tie-for-fourth on WSU's all-time hit by pitch list at 13.
