The Wayne State softball team snagged its first NSIC win of the season against the University of Mary, Monday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex in the second game of the doubleheader splitting with the Marauders. WSC is now 10-25 overall and 1-17 in the NSIC after Monday’s games.

WSC honored their six senior athletes for the 2019 season (Emily Chandler, Baylee Rial, Riley Vanderveen, Taylor Menard, Morgan Vasa and Abbie Hix) on their successful careers as Wildcats.

“Emotions were definitely high,” Vasa said. “We have played better games this past weekend than we have in a while which helped us pull out a big win for our team and seniors.”

In the first game of the double header, WSC fell 12-7 in extra innings to The Marauders. The Wildcats dominated the second inning after sophomore Ashley Hernandez doubled in left center to score the first run of the game followed by a triple from freshman Kourtney Buresh to score Hernandez and Vasa.

Wayne State carried on the momentum in the bottom the third with help from Chandler and Hix, who each grabbed back-to-back singles to kick off the inning. Hix followed up by scoring later in the inning on a groundout RBI from sophomore catcher Raquell Penke, followed by Hernandez who scored two more Wildcats off a shot to left center bringing the early lead to 7-2.

The Wildcats couldn’t hold the lead though, and fell 12-7 in the eighth inning.

The second game of the doubleheader had a better outcome for WSC, giving them the first conference win of the season .

Vanderveen started for WSC and received the pitching win with a six-inning effort, giving up just three hits and retiring nine straight batters.

Six different Wildcats recorded a run and an RBI for WSC, led by Chandler with two of each. Vasa grabbed an RBI after being struck by a pitch with bases loaded to score Smith in the bottom of the sixth.

“This season has been a season of ups and downs so far, but today was an extreme high for us and the way we all played together as one,” Vasa said.

WSC will be back in action Friday and Saturday, taking on conference opponents MSU Moorhead and Northern State in away doubleheaders.