PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team extended its winning streak to four games with a pair of shutout victories over Lake Erie College. SVSU would win game one by a 7-0 tally and game two by a 6-0 count.
Game One vs. Lake Erie - Box Score
It would take five innings for the Cardinal softball team to break a scoreless tie, but once the tie was broken the Cardinal offense kept their foot on the throttle. Freshman Kaitlyn McBride (Brampton, Ont. / St. Thomas Aquinas HS) would be the first Cardinal to cross the plate in the sixth inning after Sarah Vrabel (Canfield, Ohio) reached on a throwing error. Pinch runner Samantha Sutton (Armada, Mich.) would cross the plate on a RBI single by Jordan Randall (Clinton Twp., Mich.) to left field. A RBI double by Ashley Beal (Milan, Mich.) later in the inning would plate pinch runner Katie Smith (Clarkston, Mich.) and give SVSU the 3-0 advantage.
Saginaw Valley would keep their momentum going in the top of the seventh inning when McBride launched a two-run homer that scored Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich. / Kettering HS). Beal would pick up two more RBI's later in the inning when she laced a single up the middle to score both Mackenzie Rousse (Bay City, Mich. / Western HS) and Lindsay Hayward (Ancaster, Ont.) for the 7-0 lead.
The Cardinal defense and starting pitcher Jillian Williamson (Sebewaing, Mich. / USA HS) would hold the Storm in the bottom half of the inning to pickup their third straight win on the season. Williamson pitched all seven innings for the shutout win, allowing just four hits and striking out one batter to improve her record to 3-7 overall on the season.
Game Two vs. Lake Erie - Box Score
Saginaw Valley would jump out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Kaitlyn McBride reached first on a Lake Erie error and would later come around to score off of a double to left center by Hayward. Hayward scored later in the inning when Vrabel reached base on another Storm error.
The Cardinals would add to their lead making it 3-0 in the bottom of the second when Amanda Kimes (Caledonia, Mich.) grounded out to score Randall from third.
Randall would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and later scored on a ground out by McBride to give the Cardinals a 4-0 advantage.
SVSU would push their lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Hayward ripped a single through the left side that scored both McBride and Kimes.
Vrabel threw a complete game two-hitter to give the Cardinals their fourth straight win as she improved her record to 2-2 overall on the season. She struck out five Storm batters on the afternoon as she picked up her first career complete game.
With the wins, Saginaw Valley improves to 9-11 overall and 5-1 in the GLIAC, while Lake Erie falls to 2-18 on the season and 0-10 in the conference.
The Cardinals will return to action on Saturday (April 6) when they now travel to Ohio Dominican University. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Saginaw Valley but was moved in anticipation of inclement weather.