WSU Softball Coach Gary Bryce Gets 1,000th Win

Release courtesy of Jeff Weiss, Asst. Athletic Director for Media Relations, Wayne State University

Findlay, Ohio -- The Wayne State University softball team (23-18-1 overall, 11-8-1 GLIAC) won twice, 14-10 and 9-0, Wednesday afternoon at the University of Findlay (18-18-1 overall, 6-15 GLIAC).  The game two victory was the 1,000th collegiate softball coaching victory for 30-year head coach Gary Bryce.  He becomes the 20th softball coach in NCAA history with 1,000 wins, and the fourth in 2011 joining North Carolina's Donna Papa, Mississippi State's Jay Miller and Tennessee's Ralph Weekly.

Bryce is the third coach in Michigan to reach 1,000 collegiate softball wins.  Michigan's Carol Hutchins and Central Michigan's Margo Jonker were the first two.

Bryce, who became the WSU softball coach for the 1982 campaign, has an career record of 1,000-608-7, and has led his squads to 16 NCAA tournament appearances including the Elite Eight (College World Series) in 2003 and 2010.  The 10-time GLIAC Coach of the Year, Bryce has won 15 GLIAC titles.

The Warriors scored twice in the top of the second in game one, but trailed 7-6 after a five-run third inning by the host Oilers.  WSU led 9-8 after four and 11-9 after five.

Sam Cain (Taylor, Mich. / Kennedy) earned the win.  She allowed 10 runs (four earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and four walks.

Three UF hurlers allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 13 hits with three strikeouts and six walks.

Logan White (Brantford, Ont. / Johnson C.V.I.) had two hits and scored three times from her leadoff position.  Rebecca Ryan (Westland, Mich. / Dearborn Divine Child) contributed three hits (two home runs), three runs scored and four RBI as seven different WSU hitters had an RBI.

Ryan homered with one out in the second, and after a walk to Rebecca Stanley (Waterloo, Ont. / Waterloo C.I.), Steph Foreman (Cambridge, Ont. / Preston) smacked a two-run home run to center field.  Freshman Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St. Michael Catholic S.S.) made it back-to-back four-baggers with a shot over the left field fence.  WSU's fifth run of the inning scored on a wild pitch.

Ryan drilled a pitch over the center field fence leading off the third putting the Warriors ahead 6-2.

In the fourth, Alison Allen (Redford, Mich. / Farmington Hills Mercy) walked with two outs, moved to second on a single by Brittany Omelanchuk (Brooklin, Ont. / Wilson S.S.) and scored on a two-run double by Ryan, which put WSU ahead 8-7.  Stanley's single to left plated Ryan.

Makelle Barski (Trenton, Mich.) walked with one out in the fifth, and after White reached on error, both runners scored on a two-run double by Lauren Histed (Shelby Twp., Mich. / Utica) giving Wayne State an 11-8 advantage.

The Warriors added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.  Barski had an infield single with one out and White followed with a base hit.  Histed walked to load the bases, with Allen's ground out scoring Barski.  Omelanchuk's two-run single to right center completed WSU's scoring in game one.

Ryan's two home runs mark just the 13th time in school history a player has hit two home runs in a game.  Her 10 total bases is two shy of the school mark set last year when Rachel Spaccarotelli hit three home runs at Hillsdale.

In the nightcap, freshman Lauren McLaughlin (Oakville, Ont. / Holy Trinity) tossed a four-hit shutout for five innings as the Warriors recorded a 9-0 triumph.

Allen went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Histed contributed two hits and Fulton smacked a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

In the bottom of the first, Allen scored on an error and Stanley had an RBI single.

Wayne State then scored seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fifth.  Barski and White both singled, and scored on Histed's two-run double.  Allen doubled with one out, and scored on Omelanchuk's home run.  

WSU will concluded its 10-game road trip with back-to-back doubleheaders at Ashland on Friday (1 p.m.) and Saturday (noon).