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 Laura Guzman hit her second career home run at Northern Kentucky. |
April 19, 2006
Highland Hts., Ky. - In a battle between two regionally ranked squads, the Wayne State University softball team (25-17 overall) recorded a 2-0 victory at Northern Kentucky (28-15) in the first game of a non-conference twinbill on Wednesday at NKU's Grein Field.
The Norse were ranked fifth this week in the Great Lakes Region poll, while the Warriors were the sixth-ranked squad. Lewis University was not ranked for failing to report.
The game was a pitching duel between WSU senior Meghan Misiak (Livonia, Mich./Churchill) and NKU freshman Amanda Smith. Misiak limited Northern to four singles, while both Wayne State runs came on extra-base hits. Misiak struck out six and walked one, with Smith striking out two and not yielding a walk.
Sophomore outfielder Meredith Boxberger (Canton, Mich.) led off the top of the fifth with a single but was forced at second on a Lisa Seymour (Davison, Mich.) fielder's choice. After a sacrifice bunt by Laura Guzman (Royal Oak, Mich./Bishop Foley), senior shortstop Sue Verbeem (LaSalle, Ont./Sandwich S.S.) delivered a two-out double scoring Seymour with the game's first run.
In the top of the seventh, Guzman smacked her second career home run (first was April 15, 2005, at Lake Superior) with two outs giving Misiak an insurance run.
Both teams were 1-for-10 with runners on base with Verbeem's double being WSU's lone hit with a runner on.
Northern Kentucky had two golden scoring chances. In the bottom of the third, Kara Lorenz and Ricki Rothbauer had back-to-back singles. Following a sacrifice bunt, Misiak recorded two consecutive pop ups.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lorenz walked and stole second before Rothbauer laid down a sacrifice bunt. Misiak caught a line drive off the bat of Heather Cotner and recorded the final out on a fly out.
Misiak retired all six batters she faced over the final two innings for her second shutout of the season.
Sue Verbeem had two of WSU's six hits.
