Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University's softball team achieved a road sweep against Roosevelt University at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois. Wayne State emerged victorious with a 6-4 win in the first game and a 9-3 triumph in the second. This marked their first road sweep in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) since 2017.

In the first game, pitcher Hayden Batton from Wayne State managed to leave several Roosevelt runners stranded before the Lakers scored their first run in the third inning. Wayne State responded with a six-run rally in the fourth. Freshman Elly Koopman hit a home run, followed by Hunter Near, who also hit a home run. Maddie Hool and Jessie O'Donnell contributed with a single and a double, respectively, leading to further scores. Roosevelt did close in on Wayne State in the fifth inning, but their efforts fell short.

In the circle, Batton allowed four earned runs over five innings, striking out six. Sydney Long secured the save, pitching two scoreless innings. For Roosevelt, Kailey Hancock and Riley Czarnecki pitched a combined seven innings, allowing a total of six runs.

During the second game, Wayne State started strong with a four-run first inning. Notable contributions came from Morgan Williams, Koopman, Near, and Molly Hool, who advanced the team's lead with timely hits. Roosevelt University narrowed the lead with runs in the first and second innings, but Wayne State widened the gap further in the third and sixth innings, securing the win.

Grace Fisher pitched the complete game for Wayne State, yielding three earned runs and striking out seven. For Roosevelt, Catie Luzzi and Czarnecki shared pitching duties, with Czarnecki allowing one earned run.

Wayne State's standout players included Elly Koopman and Hunter Near, both contributing multiple hits across the two games. Roosevelt's significant players included Bianca Gallegos and Ella Dvoracek. Following this series, Wayne State is set to continue its road trip with games against Parkside.