FINDLAY, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team rallied for a pair of road wins today (Apr. 2) at Findlay. The Cardinals took game one by a score of 7-4 and the second game in dramatic fashion by an 8-7 tally.
Game One vs. Findlay - Box Score
The Oilers used two hits in the first inning to jump out to a quick 2-0 advantage over the Cardinals. Findlay would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
SVSU would try to put a rally together in the top of the fifth inning when freshman Sarah Vrabel (Canfield, Ohio) laced a pinch hit single up the middle. A Mackenzie Rousse (Bay City, Mich./Western HS) single through the left side would give the Cardinals runners on the corners with just one out. A steal by Rousse would allow Vrabel to score from third to get SVSU on the scoreboard. A Findlay throwing error would allow Rousse and Lindsay Hayward (Ancaster, Ont.) to score and cut the Oiler advantage to 4-3.
Marcy Medina (Valparaiso, Ind. / Wheeler HS) would start another Cardinal rally in the top of the sixth inning for Saginaw Valley and would score along with Kaitlyn McBride (Brampton, Ont. / St. Thomas Aquinas HS) on a double by Rousse later in the inning.
SVSU would add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh as they went on to the 7-4 victory.
Jillian Williamson (Sebewaing, Mich. / USA HS) picked up her second win if the season for the Cardinals in the circle, throwing all seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out three Oilers.
Game Two vs. Findlay - Box Score
The Lady Cardinals picked right up where they left off in game one as a double by Vrabel plated McBride for the early 1-0 lead.
Saginaw Valley would add to their lead in the bottom of the third inning when Hayward launched a homer down the left field line to put SVSU up 2-0.
Findlay would try to rally in the top of the fourth inning, but the Cardinal defense would hold them to a single run. A Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) double to left center in the bottom half of the inning would score Jordan Randall (Clinton Twp., Mich.) to once again give Saginaw Valley a two-run advantage, 3-1.
The Oilers would chase starter Sarah Appold (Bay City, Mich. / Valley Lutheran HS) in the top of the fifth inning after scoring four runs on four hits to take a 5-3 lead.
Hayward would help the Cardinals get one of the runs back in the bottom half of the fifth inning with her second homerun of the contest, this time to straight-away center field.
Happ would even the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning with her second RBI of the contest, this time a hard hit single to center field that scored Randall.
The Oilers would try to put the game away in the top of the seventh inning with a two run rally. From there things began to look bleak for the Cardinals after the first two batters of the inning were retired. That is when the SVSU offense once again showed its teeth.
A two-out single by Jenna Holmes (Jenison, Mich.) would bring the tying run to the plate in freshman catcher Kari Knight (Walled Lake, Mich. / Northern HS). Knight would not disappoint her teammates as she delivered a two-run homer to left center to even the score at 7-7. The Cardinals would keep the rally going as Randall reached on a single and stole second base to get into scoring position. That is when Happ would stroke an RBI single to left field to score Randall and give SVSU the 8-7 walk off win.
With the victories the Cardinals improve to 7-11 overall on the season and 3-1 in the GLIAC, while Findlay falls to 12-8 overall on the season and 2-6 in the conference.
Saginaw Valley will return to action on Friday (Apr. 5) when they travel to Lake Erie College for a make-up contest that was scheduled earlier this season.