Wayne State College softball went 2-5 in six games played this weekend at the HyVee Classic Softball Tournament in St. Joseph, Mo.

“We were a lot better on offense,” Head Coach Shelli Manson said. “Defensively, it’s a slow process. With girls in new positions, we had some communication issues and that came with not practicing enough. Overall it was a better improvement.”

The first game of the tournament did not go the Wildcats’ way against their opponent, Central Missouri, losing 9-1 in six innings.

The Jennies scored in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly to left field. WSC tied the game 1-1 in the third as senior infielder Alyssa Schropp doubled and scored on a fielding error. The Jennies responded with eight runs over the next two innings, ending the game early, and improved to 8-14 overall.

Game two of the tournament against Northwest Missouri State opened with a bang as junior catcher Katelyn Wobken hit a three-run home run in the top of the second. The Bearcats scored one in the bottom of the second and scored two in the bottom of the third to tie the game 3-3.

The ‘Cats regained the lead in the fourth, when junior infielder Jordyn Breitbarth doubled and scored on Schopp’s groundout. Wobken scored off Melanie Alyea’s single, which gave the ‘Cats a 5-3 lead.

WSC scored one last time in the sixth as Breitbarth scored on a Schropp single. The Bearcats had runners on second and third with a shot to win, but it was the Wildcats’ defense that closed out the game for the 6-5 victory.

“We moved Jordyn (Breitbarth) out to center field and she has been a breath of fresh air,” Manson said. “She has gained a ton of confidence at the plate and has come through quite a few times for us.”

Game three was against Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon. The Lions racked up 16 hits compared to WSC’s nine hits and came out victorious, 5-2. Schropp went a perfect 4-4 at the plate and junior outfielder Rachel Shumaker went 2-3.

The only two runs scored for the ‘Cats came in the sixth inning, when pinch runner Sarah Hunter scored on a Schropp single and sophomore infielder Abbie Hix scored on a fielder’s choice by senior third baseman Monique Alyea.

Game four again was another tough outing against 18th ranked Missouri Western State, losing 6-1. The only run scored for the ‘Cats came in the top of the first as Schropp scored on a Hix double down the left field line.

The final game of the tournament featured a rematch of the March 1 doubleheader against Fort Hays State. WSC lost both games in Hays, Kan., 2-1 and 7-0 earlier this month.

“The girls definitely took this game seriously,” Manson said.

The ‘Cats scored first as Hix tripled down the right field line, scoring sophomore Emily Chandler. Fort Hays responded with three runs in the bottom of the first taking a 3-1 lead.

Wobken doubled in the fourth inning, scoring Melanie Alyea and Breitbarth and tying the game 3-3. The Tigers regained the lead 4-3 in the bottom half of the fourth.

Breitbarth came through in the sixth inning, hitting a two-run single that scored Hunter and Melanie Alyea, putting the ‘Cats ahead 5-4. WSC relief pitcher Riley Vanderveen closed the door on the Tigers’ comeback attempt and the Wildcats held on for the 5-4 victory.

“It was a good one to end on,” Manson said. “It felt like every time we hit them hard, it was right at somebody. We didn’t let that get to us. We kept hitting it hard and finally they fell.”

The Wildcats are now 6-18 overall with conference play on the horizon.

“(Our) pitching did well,” Manson said. “Riley (Vanderveen) came back and got back to normal. Allison (Niemeier) put in work against a good team and built her confidence. Nataliah (Hopkins) threw a lot of innings and battled through some tough situations.”

The Wildcats were scheduled to face off against University of Nebraska-Kearney at Pete Chapman Softball complex yesterday (Tuesday), but the doubleheader was cancelled due to incoming weather. The game will be rescheduled for some time in April, Manson said.

“Everything from here on out is important,” Manson said. “We need to win games and give ourselves a chance to play in the conference tournament and to be successful. The pressure is finally on, so we have to put the pedal to the metal.”

The next time WSC softball is in action, the team will travel to Sioux Falls, S. D., to take on Augustana University on Tuesday, March 28, for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.