ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The 29th-ranked Wayne State University softball squad (38-13 overall) won its NCAA Tournament opener by a 1-0 score over Truman State University (39-22 overall) Thursday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The visiting Bulldogs had one base runner in each of the first three innings, but each time Warrior hurler Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont.) worked out the jam.

In the top of the fifth, Truman's Riley Cook singled to left on a 3-2 offering with one out.  Haley Wells was hit with the next offering from Butler putting a runner in scoring position for the second time of the contest for the Bulldogs with National Player of the Year finalist Christa Reisinger coming up to the dish.  Butler struck out Reisinger on four pitches, then induced a ground out on the next delivery.

In the bottom of the frame, Butler laced a 1-2 offering down the left field line for a double.  A sacrifice bunt by Allie Buchanan (Cambridge, Ont.) advanced Butler to third.  Brooke Turkalj (St. Jacobs, Ont.) hit a 3-1 pitch to the shortstop for a ground out, with Butler beating the throw home from first for the game's only run.

Butler then retired the final six batters on 12 pitches, not allowing a ball out of the infield.

IN THE CIRCLE

Butler (23-8) tossed her 50th career shutout in blanking the Bulldogs on two hits.  She struck out two and walked one.

Lauren Dale (21-9) limited the Warriors to one earned run on five hits with zero strikeouts to four walks.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Butler was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while four other players had one hit apiece.  Buchanan went 1-for-1 with a walk and a key sacrifice bunt.

LEADING THE BULLDOGS

Morgan McMahan had a two-out single in the first, and Cook singled in the fifth.

UP NEXT

Wayne State plays UMSL, an 11-1 victor over Kentucky Wesleyan, at noon Central time on Friday in a winner's bracket match-up.