May 5, 2007

Box Score

Midland, Mich. - The Mercyhurst softball team had its run through the GLIAC Tournament end as top-seeded Wayne State beat the Lakers 3-2 in 10 innings. The Warriors scored twice in the bottom of the 10th after Mercyhurst took the lead in the top half of the inning.

With the contest tied at 1-1, the international tie-break rule went into effect in the 10th inning. Maureen Bailey started the top half of the inning on second and Megan Houston's sacrifice bunt moved her to third. Jen Feret laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt and reached as Wayne State attempted unsuccessfully to get Bailey out at the plate.

Melissa Rizzo followed with a double but the Lakers were unable to get an insurance run home when Feret was thrown out at the plate on a short fly out to leftfield.

In the bottom of the 10th, Laura Guzman started the frame on second base and Lisa Seymour reached on a two-strike bunt that failed to get Guzman to third base. Stephanie LeClair followed with a sacrifice bunt and Katie Golub grounded out to the pitcher to push across the tie run. With Seymour on third and two outs, pinch-hitter Amanda Van't Wout reached on an error that gave Wayne State the winning run.

The loss ruined a fantastic pitching effort by Feret. After pitching 13 innings on day one of the GLIAC Tournament, she allowed six hits over 9 2/3 innings, striking out five and allowing no earned runs. The Lakers outhit Wayne State 11-6 for the game but left 10 runners on base.

Early on, it looked as if the game could be a high-scoring affair. Wayne State scored on a Meredith Boxberger RBI single in the bottom of the first and Mercyhurst came back to tie the game in the top of the second on singles from Rizzo and Kim Griffin, followed by a throwing error. Both pitchers settled down to shut out the other team until the international tie-break rule went into effect in the 10th.

Mercyhurst is now 23-23 and will await word on a slight chance at advancing to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Lakers entered the week ranked No. 8 in the region and have broken the school record for wins in a season.