DETROIT, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team needed 14 innings to notch its first round win over Indianapolis Friday (May 14) in the NCAA Midwest Regional #1 hosted by Wayne State.
Both the Cardinals and the Greyhounds were ready for the rematch from last season's Midwest Super Regional that saw SVSU fall in a best of three series to Indianapolis. Kari Bowlby (Elkhart, Ind./Central HS) started in the circle for the Cardinals, throwing five and a third shut-out innings before giving way to Lauren Memmer (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland HS), who finished off the last eight and two thirds of an inning of shutout softball. Combined, the two allowed only five hits and struck out 11 Greyhounds on the afternoon.
The Cardinals had several opportunities to take the lead but failed to drive a run in three times with runners on second and third. SVSU's best opportunity came in the ninth inning, when Angela Kaiser (Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes HS) and Jessica McKeith both reached base with no outs, but the Cardinals would not be able to capitalize.
The Saginaw Valley defense also came up big all afternoon, turning three key double plays to end Greyhound threats. The biggest might have been in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Memmer got the first batter she faced to line out to shortstop Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS), who touched second to end the inning and the Greyhound rally.
SVSU would make its move in the top of the 14th inning, when Shannon McLaughlin (Benton Harbor, Mich./Watervliet HS) blasted a solo homerun over the left field fence to break 13 straight innings of scoreless softball. Nicole Bigelow (Grandville, Mich.) would follow with a single through the left side and Memmer would reach on a fielding error by the Greyhounds to put two runners on with no outs. Later in the inning a two out walk by Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) would set the stage for Kaiser, who laced a two run single to left field to put the Cardinals up 3-0. Memmer would set Indianapolis down in order in the 14th to advance the Cardinals into the winners' bracket.