Wayne State's Gary Bryce becomes all-time DII leader with 1,216 wins

CARY, N.C. — Wayne State head softball coach Gary Bryce, in his 36th season at WSU, became the all-time NCAA Division II wins leader as the Warriors blanked Lincoln (Pa.) in their opening contest of the 2017 Shaw University Invitational.  Bryce snapped a tie with former Bloomsburg coach Jan Hutchinson (1978-2010), who garnered 1,215 wins in her 33 seasons.

Record set! Wayne State softball coach Gary Bryce won his 1,216th game to become DII's all-time winningest coach by victories! #MakeItYours pic.twitter.com/Ty0y9OIy69

— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) March 4, 2017

Wayne State blanked Lincoln University (0-3 overall) 16-0 in five innings Friday evening in the record-setting win for head coach Gary Bryce.

The Warriors wasted little time as leadoff batter Lyndsay Butler walked, Allie Buchanan followed with a bunt single and Kristen Lucas walked. After a passed ball scored a run, Brooke Turkalj had a two-run single. WSU added three more runs in the frame on a couple of errors by the Lions and a wild pitch.

In the second, three consecutive walks to Turkalj, Kelsey Ramus and Hannah McClounie loaded the bases before Ashley Messina was hit by a pitch to make it 7-0.

Emily Cava and Butler had back-to-back singles to start the third and Alea Kainz was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A Lucas ground out plated one run, while Butler scored on a Ramus single.

In the fourth, Megan Guitar had a one-out single and scored on an infield single by Cava.

Wayne State completed the scoring with six runs in the top of the fifth on five hits and two Lincoln miscues. Shelby Fridline singled, Jamie MacNeil had an RBI double, Cava delivered a two-run single to left and Butler blasted a three-run home run.

Gary Bryce snapped a tie with former Bloomsburg coach Jan Hutchinson.

Guitar improved to 3-0 by retiring 12 of the 13 batters she faced with the lone Lion to reach base came via a WSU error with two outs in the bottom of the first. Guitar struck out seven and did not walk a batter in her four innings of work. Haley Hurd struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Cava went 3-for-3 with three RBI, while Butler and Lucas each had two hits as part of a 13-hit attack. Nine different Warriors had hits in the contest.