May 10, 2007

Stats

Romeoville, Ill. - The Wayne State University softball team (40-15 overall), seeded fifth in the Great Lakes Region, rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 triumph in 10 innings over fourth seeded Grand Valley (32-17) in the opening game of the 2007 NCAA Great Lakes Regional tournament being hosted by Lewis University.

The Lakers took a 1-0 lead on a two-out home run in the bottom of the first on a 2-2 pitch by Kristin Moleski.

GVSU increased its lead to 2-0 on a one-out home run by Elizabeth Smith in the bottom of the fourth on a 2-2 offering.

Grand Valley had a chance to add to its lead in the bottom of the fifth as Becky Rudenga had a leadoff double. After Karen Walters reached on a fielder's choice, WSU junior pitcher Molly Yetman (Cambridge, Ont.) struck out the next two batters and then induced an inning-ending fielder's choice.

After leaving five runners on base in the first five innings, WSU junior center fielder Sarah Berry (Acton, Ont.) drilled a 1-1 pitch from GVSU's Lori Andjelich (16-7) over the left field fence cutting the deficit to a run.

In the top of the seventh, Stephanie LeClair (Kitchener, Ont.) had a leadoff single up the middle that was knocked down by the GVSU second baseman on a 1-2 pitch. After a foul out, pinch-hitter Katie Golub (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) grounded out but LeClair was able to advance to second. After fouling off a couple of pitches, junior first baseman Lindsey Perry (Taylor, Mich./Kennedy) was able to lace an 0-2 offering up the middle scoring LeClair with the tying run.

Yetman retired six straight GVSU batters until a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth by Lisa Preuss. WSU left fielder Meredith Boxberger (Plymouth, Mich.) made a shoe-string catch on a drive by Katie Kring before the next two hitters were retired.

In the top of the 10th, Sarah Kish (St. Catharines, Ont.) had a one-out single up the middle. Following a fielder's choice, pinch-runner Laura Guzman (Royal Oak, Mich./Bishop Foley) advanced to second on a passed ball. Boxberger then doubled off the right center field fence scoring Guzman with the eventual game-winning run.

Yetman struck out the first two GVSU batters before Moleski hit a soft liner to Lisa Seymour (Davison, Mich.) at short to end the game.

The Warriors will face the region's top seed, SIU-Edwardsville, at 2 p.m. Central on Friday in a winner's bracket semifinal game.

Notes:

The win was WSU's 40th of the season (second-most in school history).

Yetman improves to 23-3 and increased her season strikeout total to 278 with 15 strikeouts and only one walk.

Berry and Perry each recorded their 37th RBI of the season, which is tied-for-eighth best in a year at WSU.

Berry moved into a tie-for-sixth on the WSU single-season home run list with her seventh.

Perry moved into fifth on the WSU single-season charts with 108 total bases.

Kish moved into fifth place on the single-season list with 342 fielding putouts, while Perry is now ninth with 299 putouts.

Yetman is tied-for-sixth on the WSU career strikeout list with Roxanne Szczesniak (1981-84) at 278.