KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team defeated St. Cloud, 2-1 and fell to Holy Family, 4-3 on day four of the 2012 Rebel Spring Games. Saginaw Valley moves to 4-4 overall on the season.
Game 1
Neither team would be able to get their offense going as both pitchers had no hitters going through three innings. The Cardinals were the first to pick up a hit in the fourth inning when senior Natalie Wellman (Fairhaven, Mich./Anchor Bay HS) found a gap in shallow right center field and would later advance to second on a hit from senior Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stephenson HS). Wellman came around to score when sophomore Lindsey Hayward (Ancaster, Ont.) laced her first hit of the season past the shortstop giving the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage.
St. Cloud put their first run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when Maggie Dunsmore laid down a bunt and reached on a Cardinal error that would bring around Megan Lehnen to score the unearned run, knotting the score at 1-1.
Saginaw Valley took back control of the game in the top of the sixth inning when Hayward led off with a single up the middle and Burdick put a sacrifice bunt into play that would advance pinch runner Mackenzie Rousse (Bay City, Mich./Bay City Western HS) to third. Junior Devon Eley (Centreville, Mich.) gave the Cardinals the go-ahead run when she smacked a single to center field.
Junior Jillian Williamson (Unionville/Sebewaing, Mich.) got the start in the circle for Saginaw Valley pitching herself to her first win of the season with six strikeouts in seven innings. Williamson is now 1-3 overall on the season. Hayward led the way for the Cardinals going two-for-three at the plate with one RBI, while Eley was one-for-three at the plate driving in the winning run.
Game 2
Saginaw Valley took control of the game early from Holy Family when they were able to string together two hits and capitalized of two Tiger errors in the third inning of the contest. The Cardinals scored their first run of the inning when Eley reached base on a throwing error, scoring Hayward from third base. Junior Katie Smith (Clarkston, Mich.) extended the SVSU lead to two when she singled up the middle scoring freshman Jordan Randall (Clinton Twp, Mich./Clinton HS).
Holy Family started their bats in the top of the fifth inning when they scored three runs on two hits and one Cardinal error. The Tigers Erica Reis knocked in two RBI's when she drove a single through the left side of the field, tying the score at 2-2. Holy Family tacked on one more run in the inning, allowing them to take a 3-2 lead over Saginaw Valley.
The Cardinals knotted the score at 3-3 when Wellman singled up the middle in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring junior Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) from second, but the Tigers answered right back in the top of the seventh taking the lead once again over Saginaw Valley.
The Cardinals tried to get a rally going in the bottom of the seventh inning, but were shut down by the Tiger defense as they fell 4-3.
Junior Alexa Gehrls (Caledonia, Mich.) suffered her first loss of the season pitching a complete game with six strikeouts. Gehrls is now 3-1 overall on the season. Smith led the way for Saginaw Valley going three-for-four at the plate with one RBI, while Randall was two-for-two.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Wednesday (Mar. 7) when they take on USciences at 9:00 AM followed by a match-up against Lees-McRae at 11:00 AM.