WSC Athletics
Mike Grosz, Director of Sports Information
MINOT, N.D. – Wayne State College rallied from an 11-0 deficit and used a two-out, two-run homer from Emily Chandler in the top of the seventh inning to cap an amazing 13-11 comeback win over Minot State in the opener of a Northern Sun Conference softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at the Minot Air Dome in Minot, North Dakota. Minot State withstood another Wildcat rally in the seventh inning of the second game to salvage a split with an 11-10 win in the second game. WSC is 10-21 on the year and 4-8 in the NSIC while Minot State is 19-14 and 6-6 in NSIC games.
The opener saw Wayne State rally from an 11-0 deficit in the third inning as the Wildcats stormed back for an incredible 13-11 victory.
Minot State produced 11 runs on 11 hits in the second inning to grab an early 11-0 lead.
WSC got on the board in the third with Emily Chandler‘s RBI single scoring Katelyn Wobken (double).
The ‘Cats scored four runs in the fourth to cut the Beaver lead to 11-5. Chandler had a two-run single while Jordyn Breitbarth added an RBI single for key hits in the inning.
WSC chalked up six runs in the top of the sixth inning to even the score at 11-11. Breitbarth started the inning with a solo homer. Ashley Hernandez had a two-run single to go with RBI singles from Abbie Hix and Chandler.
In the seventh, Morgan Vasa reached on a fielder’s choice and with two outs Chandler blasted a home run to right center field culminating the amazing 13-11 comeback win.
WSC pounded out a season-best 19 hits in the win. Chandler finished 5 for 5 with a homer and six RBI. Wobken ended 3 for 4 with a double and three runs scored. Breitbarth was 2 for 4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored while Vasa, Rachel Shumaker and Hernandez each added two hits in the win.
Sophomore reliever Allison Niemeier was brilliant in relief to earn the win, now 1-1 on the season. She worked a career-high 5 2/3 innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits. Maddie Moser started the game and worked 1 1/3 innings and was charged with four runs.
The second game saw Minot State use four run innings in the first and third to build an 8-2 lead, then hold off another Wildcat seventh inning rally, to pick up the 11-10 victory.
WSC scored one in the top of the first on Shumaker’s RBI single that brought home Chandler (double).
After MISU scored four runs in the bottom of the first, WSC got one run back in the third on back-to-back doubles from Shumaker and Hix.
Another four run inning in the third gave Minot State an 8-2 lead. WSC scored one in the top of the fourth on Chandler’s RBI double and came up with two runs in the top of the fifth on sacrifice flies from Hernandez and Breitbarth that scored Shumaker (walk) and Hix (double) that cut the Minot State lead to 8-5.
But Minot State answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead back to 10-5.
The ‘Cats made the game interesting again in the seventh, scoring five runs to tie the contest at 10-10.
Hix reached on an error and scored on Annie Grammer’s RBI double to trim the Minot State cushion to 10-6. Wobken belted a ground-rule double to score Grammer and Breitbarth (throwing error) cutting the Beaver lead to 10-8.
WSC then loaded the bases following a pinch hit by Baylee Rial and a walk to Chandler. Back-to-back fielder’s choices by Alyx Hagen and Shumaker tied the game at 10-10. Hix reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases again, but Hernandez grounded out to end the seventh inning rally with the score tied at 10-10.
But Minot State used a pair of walks followed by an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to win 11-10.
WSC had one more hit than Minot State, 10-9. Chandler was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles while Hix was 2 for 5 with two doubles. Shumaker went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.
Freshman Maddie Moser (2-8) was tagged with the pitching loss, working four innings of relief. Starter Riley Vanderveen worked 2 1/3 innings.
Wayne State will be at home on Wednesday afternoon hosting Sioux Falls in a 3 p.m. NSIC doubleheader.