KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team split day two of the 2012 Rebel Spring Games, falling to Minnesota State-Mankato, 2-0 before defeating St. Cloud, 3-1. The Cardinals move to 2-2 overall on the season.

Game 1
Minnesota State Mankato was the first to get on the scoreboard in a rematch game of the first round of the 2011 NCAA Championships. The Mavericks took a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals in the top of the fifth inning when Brittani Robinson stepped in with bases loaded and singled through the left side, scoring the only two runs of the contest.

The Cardinals would try and get something going offensively in the bottom of the sixth inning when junior Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich. / Kettering HS) would reach base, drawing her third walk of the game. Senior Natalie Wellman (Fairhaven, Mich./Anchor Bay HS) followed her with a two-out single through the left side of the infield to advance her to second.  Wellman was the only Saginaw Valley player to get a hit for the game.  The Cardinals would be unable to string anything together in the bottom of the seventh inning as they fell to the Mavericks by a score of 2-0.

Junior Jillian Williamson (Unionville/Sebewaing, Mich./Unionville Sebewaing Area HS) suffered the loss for the Cardinals, pitching her first complete game of the season with six strikeouts and a walk. Williamson is now 0-2 on the season. Wellman led the way for Saginaw Valley with her lone hit, while Happ had three walks and two stolen bases in the contest.

Game 2
The Cardinals wasted little time getting the offense going in game two as they took an early lead over St. Cloud, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Freshman Mallie Hall (Chicago, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) recorded her first career hit on an infield single to third that allowed senior Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stephenson HS)  to cross the plate.  The Cardinals pushed their lead to 2-0 when senior Kalie Burdick (Milford, Mich.) reached base on a fielder's choice that scored Wellman.

Saginaw Valley tacked on  an insurance  run in the top of the third inning when Burdick dug in with two outs and singled through the left side of the infield, scoring Happ from second base.  The Huskies plated their only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when they loaded the bases and scored on a SVSU fielding error.

Junior Alexa Gehrls (Caledonia, Mich.) picked up her second win of the season pitching a complete game with nine strikeouts, while allowing just five hits. Burdick had one hit and two runs batted in on the afternoon, while Happ had one hit and scored a run for Saginaw Valley.

The Cardinals will return to action Monday (Mar. 5) when they take on Southwest Minnesota State at 1:00 PM before matching up with C.W. Post in a rematch game from the 2011 NCAA Championships at 3:00 PM.  Saginaw Valley defeated C.W. Post in the 2011 NCAA Championships.