The Wayne State softball team had its NSIC opening doubleheader against Augustana College last Wednesday at the Vikings home field in Sioux Falls.

Disappointingly, the games didn’t go so well for the Wildcats, who fell to the Vikings 4-1 both games that day.

The first loss for the ‘Cats was due to home runs that were given up to Augustana.

In the first inning of the first game, Augustana’s Sarah Kennedy hit a two-run blast to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead. Carly Peterson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, giving Augustana the 4-1 lead. Sophomore Alyssa Schropp, who hit a home run in the third inning, was the only person to score for the Wildcats.

The second game went in a similar fashion. Augustana scored two runs in the first and second innings while WSC scored their only run in the fourth inning when senior Kelcie Bormann singled and scored on a single to center field by Schropp, resulting in another 4-1 loss.

The ‘Cats continued their week by playing Minot State University on Saturday and University of Mary on Sunday in WSC’s first home games of the season.

WSC ended its four-game losing streak, sweeping Minot State on Saturday.

The ‘Cats took advantage of the Beavers’ five errors in the first game, winning 7-1.

Senior Sara Scheffert was the starting pitcher for the Wildcats, pitching a solid five innings, giving up only three hits and striking out four.

Junior Cassy Miller came in for the relief for the last two innings, giving up no runs and striking out three.

The game went into an extra inning with the score tied at 5-5.

Senior Bormann produced the game-winning double in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored junior Lexie Loos, making the final score 6-5.

The busy week continued with the Cats going against University of Mary in a windy match-up.

The Marauders used all of their five hits to gain three runs against the ‘Cats and even though WSC had a total of eight hits, they only scored two runs, giving University of Mary the win.

The second game, both teams came out fighting, holding the score 0-0 until the game went into extra innings.

The ninth inning held the only run of the game.

Senior Kaiti Williams singled up the middle, while the pinch-runner for Williams, Jalyn Zeiss, was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bormann. Then junior Sam O’Brien singled to center field, scoring Zeiss to win the game for the Wildcats.

Augustana
Game 1
Wayne State (Neb.).. 001 000 0 – 1 4 0
Augustana (SD)……. 202 000 X – 4 8 1
W: Trautmann,J. (12-1). L: Bormann, K. (9-5).
2B – Trautmann,J.(4).
HR – Schropp, A.(1); Kennedy,S.(4); Peterson, C.(3).

Game 2
Wayne State (Neb.).. 000 100 0 – 1 4 3
Augustana (SD)…….. 220 000 X – 4 6 2
2B – Loos, L.(7); Kennedy,S. 2(13).

Minot
Game 1
Minot State……… 000 010 0 – 1 3 5
Wayne State (Neb.).. 103 300 X – 7 12 0
W: Scheffert, S (3-2). L: Lorimor, M. (14-4).
2B – Cygan, A. 2; King, J.. 3B – Loos, L.

Game 2
Minot State……… 000 130 10 – 5 7 2
Wayne State …… 000 131 01 – 6 10 0
W: Miller, C. (4-1). L: Lorimor, M. (14-5).
2B – Hill, A.; Cornejo, A.; Loos, L.; Wobken, S.; Bormann, K. 2.
HR – O’Brien, S.

University of Mary
Game 1
Univ. of Mary (ND).. 011 100 0 – 3 5 1
Wayne State (Neb.).. 100 000 1 – 2 8 1
W: Dudley, N. (10-8). L: Scheffert, S (3-3).
2B – O’Haver, N.; Alyea, Me.
HR – Mendez, T.

Game 2
Univ. of Mary (ND).. 000 000 000 – 0 5 0
Wayne State (Neb.).. 000 000 001 – 1 6 1
W: Miller, C. (5-1). L: Dudley, N. (10-9).
2B – Bormann, K.; Wobken, S.