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 Robyn Haig drove in the game-winning run with two outs in the seventh. |
May 5, 2006
Midland, Mich. - The Wayne State University softball squad (32-22) advanced to the championship round of the 2006 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tournament with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Gannon University (39-15) Friday evening at Emerson Park in Midland.
With the victory, the Warriors clinched the 2006 GLIAC Championship, which is based 50% on the conference regular-season and 50% on the conference tournament, and the GLIAC's automatic bid for the NCAA Regional.
WSU started strong as senior shortstop Sue Verbeem (LaSalle, Ont./Sandwich S.S.) homered on a 2-2 offering leading off the bottom of the first. After an out, sophomore Sarah Berry (Acton, Ont.) walked and moved to second on a ground out. Sophomore Lindsey Perry (Taylor, Mich./Kennedy) drilled an RBI single to left center.
The Knights made it a 2-1 contest on a single, sacrifice bunt, wild pitch and sacrifice fly in the third, and tied the game on an Allison Gerger home run in the fourth.
GU took a 3-2 lead with an unearned run in the fifth.
The Warriors trailed by a run heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but pinch-hitter Amanda Dowe (Truro, Nova Scotia) had a leadoff single through the left side and continued on to second base as the throw from the outfield got away. Verbeem's ground out moved pinch-runner Lisa Seymour (Davison, Mich.) to third. Becky Quinn (Ortonville, Mich./Oakland Christian) drilled a two-out double to deep center field scoring Seymour with the tying run. On the very next pitch, Berry lined the ball off the pitcher's leg moving Quinn to third. Sophomore Robyn Haig (Waterloo, Ont./Waterloo C.I.) worked the count to 3-1 and then singled through the right side just off the glove of a diving second baseman to score Quinn with the winning run.
Junior Sarah Ytsma (Chatham, Ont./McGregor S.S.) tossed the first five innings allowing five hits, a walk and three runs (two earned). Senior Jordan Sinclair (Chatham, Ont./Chatham Kent S.S.) pitched the final two innings to earn her second win of the season over Gannon. Sinclair surrendered just one hit with three strikeouts.
Wayne State went four-for-10 with two outs compared to one-for-eight for Gannon.
The Saturday schedule for the GLIAC tournament has Ashland playing Grand Valley at 8:30 a.m. with the winner advancing to face Gannon at 10:30 a.m. The loser's bracket champion will play Wayne State at 12:30 p.m.
