It took 11 innings for Lourdes to cross home plate on Tuesday evening in a doubleheader against Cleary, but in the end, the Gray Wolves salvaged a split with the Cougars, dropping the opener 6-0 before rebounding for a 4-1 victory in game two at Pacesetter Park.
 
Lourdes managed just five hits in the opener, and never was able to put more than one runner on base at a time against Riley Thompson, who struck out four on the way to the complete game shutout (6-3).  Taylor Tafelski (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) had the only extra base hit in the game, a lead-off double in the third.
 
Kaitlin Dormire put Cleary in front with a three-run home run in the third inning, and after the Cougars plated two more in the fifth, Hannah Benner lifted a pinch-hit solo home run out to center in the sixth.
 
Marissa Kostick (Saint Charles, Mich./Saint Charles H.S.) suffered the loss (5-2), allowing five runs and six hits in five innings of work while walking four.
 
Cleary (13-11) took the early lead in game two as well as Sarah Hall led off the game with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Cougars maintained a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth, when Lourdes sent 10 batters to the plate.  After tallying just one hit in the first four innings, the Gray Wolves erupted for six hits in the frame.  Shylee Schmeltz (Northwood, Ohio/Gibsonburg H.S.) put the Gray Wolves in front with a two-run double.  With two outs, Kostick added a RBI single and Kim Waters (Belleville, Mich./Lincoln H.S.) followed with a run-scoring hit to increase the lead to 4-1.
 
Brooke Gallaher (Oregon, Ohio/Clay H.S.) did the rest in the circle, striking out seven while scattering eight hits and walking four in a complete game victory (3-5).  Jimi McNew (Monroe, Mich./Monroe H.S.) had two hits in the night cap for the Gray Wolves, including a double, as Lourdes finished the game with eight hits.
 
Vic Edwards suffered the loss (1-3) for the Cougars, allowing four runs and five hits in 4.2 innings of work while striking out five.
 
Lourdes (10-10) has equaled the best 20-game start in program history, matching the 2014 squad for the latest a Gray Wolf team has been at the .500 mark. 
 
The Gray Wolves return to the diamond on Thursday afternoon, hosting Aquinas at Pacesetter Park.  First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4 p.m. in a make-up of Sunday's (April 8) postponement.