WSU Opens 2002 Season At
Kennesaw State Owl Classic

The Wayne State softball team posted a 1-5 record on its road trip in Atlanta, Ga. last weekend (Feb. 22-24). The Warriors dropped five games at the Kennesaw State Owl Classic on Feb. 22-23 and picked up a single victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Feb. 24.

WSU continues its season by heading to the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic in Dallas, Texas on March 1-3.

Sunday, Feb. 24
Wayne State 4, Texas A&M-Kingsville 0 [box]

The Warriors ended their five-game losing streak by defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville 4-0 on Feb. 24 in Atlanta, Ga. WSU took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as sophomore Maria D'Agostino (Wixom/Walled Lake Western) singled home sophomore Beth Berry (Blissfield). D'Agostino would later knock in two more runs in the third inning and the Warriors would score again in the fifth to conclude the 4-0 shutout. D'Agostino went 2-3 with two singles and three RBI. Freshman Lisa Gauthier (Burton/Kearsely) recorded the seven inning shutout on the mound, allowing just five hits and no runs with four strikeouts.

Saturday, Feb. 23
Texas Woman's University 3, Wayne State 0 [box]
(at Owl Classic)

WSU dropped a 3-0 decision to Texas Woman's University at the Owl Classic on Feb. 23. The Warrior offense recorded just two hits for the game. Junior pitcher Connie Milroth (St. Clair Shores/Lakeview) took the loss, allowing just one earned run with two strikeouts.

Saturday, Feb. 23
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 4, Wayne State 1 [box]
(at Owl Classic)

The Warriors took an early 1-0 lead and recorded seven hits for the game, however, WSU fell 4-1 to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Junior Betsy Kirk (Etobicoke, Ontario) scored Wayne State's only run on an RBI single by D'Agostino. Sophomores Beth Berry (Blissfield) and Johanna Proulx (Brampton, Ontario) both went 2 for 3 for the game. Junior Amy Thiede (Riverview) allowed three runs in the first on two wild pitches and two hit batters. Gauthier relieved Thiede and pitched seven strong innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits.

Friday, Feb. 22
Texas Woman's University 2, Wayne State 1 [box]
(at Owl Classic)

WSU suffered a 2-1 defeat to Texas Woman's University with the Warriors falling in extra innings. The international tie breaker was used which puts a base-runner on second base to start the inning. In the eighth inning, Proulx started on second base, but the Warriors could only advance her to third base as Berry grounded out to the shortstop, which ended the inning. TWU managed to score in its next at bat to record the win. WSU had six hits as a team. Wayne State's lone senior, Kelly Kashmerick (Flushing), went 2 for 4 with a single and a double. Gauthier pitched seven innings, giving up five hits and one earned run before being relieved by Milroth, who took the loss in the final inning, allowing one unearned run.

Friday, Feb. 22
Southern Indiana 10, Wayne State 2 [box]
(at Owl Classic)

The Warriors managed to get runs in the second and third innings, but it would not be enough against the high-powered Southern Indiana offense. Milroth pitched three innings, allowing two earned runs off eight hits, while striking out two. Gauthier pitched in the final two innings, allowing no runs or hits. Proulx went 2 for 2 with two singles, while Kashmerick went 1 for 3 with a double and run scored.

Friday, Feb. 22
Kennesaw St. 9, Wayne State 1 [box]
(at Owl Classic)

The Warriors opened up the Owl Classic with a 9-1 loss to host Kennesaw State, who is ranked No. 3 in the NFCA preseason top 25 poll. WSU posted seven hits and scored its lone run on a homerun by sophomore Leah Ondrovick (Tecumseh) in the second inning. Ondrovick went 2 for 3 for the game, while Kashmerick went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles. Thiede pitched seven innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in the loss.