CALEDONIA, Mich. - In 11 all-time meetings, the Davenport softball team had never scored more than five runs in a game against Wayne State, but did so in both matchups on Wednesday at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. The Panthers blew out the Warriors in the first game, 12-0 (5 innings), before walking it off in the nightcap, 6-5, to make it back-to-back sweeps. Next up on the schedule, Davenport will host Saginaw Valley State on Saturday starting with the resumption of the March 23 game two in University Center (4-4, top 4th) followed by the originally scheduled doubleheader.

For the first time under second-year head coach, Amber Bowman, Davenport swept back-to-back GLIAC doubleheaders, which improves the Panthers to 13-14 overall and 9-6 in GLIAC play. Getting both run-ruled and swept by Davenport for the first times ever, Wayne State falls to 14-10 on the season and 7-9 in league action.

In game one, the Panthers tied their season high in runs with 12 and did so on 13 hits, their second most this season, and those 12 runs are the most Wayne State has given up in eight years (17-2 against Grand Valley State on April 13, 2013). Davenport has now had 10 or more hits in three of the last four games after reaching that total just three times in the first 23 games. The Panthers did all of this against a Warriors' pitching staff that had a 2.57 ERA coming in, which was top five in the GLIAC.

In the first of the two games, Davenport scored one run in the first inning, six in the third and five in the fourth. Gabby Palazzolo (3-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3B, SB), Alexis Koza (2-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 2B), Rachel Griffin (2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI 1 2B), and Emma Miller (2-3, 3 RBI, 1 2B) each registered multiple hits for the Panthers, which helped provide more than enough run support for Miller in the circle.

Miller (6-5) moved above the .500 mark for the first time since her rookie season with 5.0 IP, 4 H. 0 R, 2 BB, and 1 SO. The left-handed hurler has now thrown a complete game in five-consecutive outings and her six complete games this season have come in her last seven outings. Entering this season, Miller had three complete games to her name in 19 career appearances. In just her last five efforts, Miller has an ERA of only 0.88 in 32 innings pitched with four earned runs given up, seven walks and 18 strikeouts.

In the rematch, Davenport put up four runs in the bottom of the first as Lindsay Goodman (pictured) singled in Palazzolo, Griffin scored Koza with a groundout to the shortstop and Goodman came around to score when Nikki Szost reached on an error by the second baseman. Wayne State put up a three spot of its own in the top of the second before the Panthers got one back in the home half of the fourth when Palazzolo hit a solo homer to center, her first of the season.

With one out in the top of the seventh, the Warriors made it a 5-5 game with a two-run shot to center, but the Panthers stopped the damage there and got their revenge. Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Goodman went yard to left center for her fifth blast of the season, which tied Griffin for the team lead.

In the circle, Taylor Simon received a no decision as she gave up three earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings pitched with one free pass and a punchout. Ellie Muilenburg (5-6) came on in relief to pick up her first win since the GLIAC opener at Saginaw Valley State. Muilenburg surrendered two earned runs on three hits in three-and-a-third innings with only one walk and five strikeouts.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler