CLERMONT, Fla. - The SVSU softball team posted its second straight sweep on its annual spring trip at THE Spring Games in Clermont, Florida, as the Cardinals claimed victories over Southwest Minnesota State and Indiana (Pa.) on Thursday evening. 

SVSU defeated the Mustangs in the opener by a score of 6-3 before outlasting the Crimson Hawks for a narrow 1-0 win in eight innings. It was the third extra-inning contest so far for the Cardinals on their spring trip. The wins also make it five straight victories for Saginaw Valley.

Game One

The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning after an Aubree Mouthaan RBI double that scored Shelby Weeks, an Evy Lobdell RBI double that plated Mouthaan and a Jessica Wood infield single that pushed Lobdell across the plate.

The Mustangs added a run in the second on a solo home run from Taylor Koloc to draw the game closer at 3-1. They would add another pair in the third inning to knot the score at 3-3.

Kennedi Thomas scored the team's fourth run in the fourth inning when Danielle Hamilton reached on an error by the defense. That made the score 4-3.

Another Mouthaan RBI double in the fifth inning scored Weeks again and Thomas would add an RBI double of her own to trade spots with Mouthaan, pushing the lead to 6-3. 

SMSU's Mackenzie Clouse would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 6-4, which is where it would stand with SV sealing the victory.

Inside the Boxscore

• Mouthaan was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. She walked once as well.
• Hamilton added a pair of hits in her four at-bats.
• Weeks had a hit, two runs and two walks while Wood, Lobdell and Thomas all had hits and an RBI for SVSU.
• Mouthaan (2 2B), Lobdell (2B), Hamilton (2B), Thomas (2B) and Weeks (3B) accounted for the five extra-base hits for SVSU. The Cards had eight hits total in the game.
• Sarah Appold (2-2) worked all seven innings in the circle, scattering six hits while allowing four runs. She walked three and tied a career-high with 14 strikeouts. 

Game Two

Thursday's nightcap didn't feature much scoring, as each team notched just four hits. It was in the pitchers' hands, as the Crimson Hawks' Brooke Darling allowed four hits and had seven strikeouts while SVSU's Samantha Willman was efficient on the mound as well, scattering four hits while allowing no runs and striking-out a career-high herself with 14 K's. 

The game itself was scoreless through the first seven innings and went to the international tiebreaker rule. 

SVSU held Indiana scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, setting the stage for its chance to claim the victory.

Wood was placed on second base for the Cardinals in the bottom of the eighth and was promptly moved to third on a sacrifice from Thomas. Madison Burgess came up next and hit a fly ball to left field, which was deep enough to allow Wood to advance home and slide just ahead of the throw home to seal the 1-0 shutout victory.

Inside the Boxscore

• The top four hitters in the order for the game all had a hit, with Burgess, Hamilton, Meredith Rousse and Weeks all recording a base knock. Burgess had the only RBI, proving to be the game-winner. 
• Willman (1-0) tossed all 8.0 innings in the circle for SVSU while racking-up the 14 strikeouts. She allowed just the four hits and walked three batters.

Up Next

Saginaw Valley improves its overall record to 6-4 on the season and continues play Friday (Mar. 11) with another doubleheader. The Cards face Edinboro at 5:00 p.m. and Urbana at 7:00 p.m. in another pair of evening games. These two are slated to be played at Legends Way ballfields #3.

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