UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The SVSU softball team registered 13 hits in the opening game and got a strong pitching performance from Sarah Appold in a 7-0 victory of a split with Grand Valley State University on Wednesday afternoon (Apr. 13). The Cardinals dropped the nightcap by a 2-0 score after registering just a single hit in the second contest.
Saginaw Valley moves to 23-9 overall and 9-5 in GLIAC play while the Lakers are now 23-7 and 8-4 in league competition.
The first game was all SVSU, with the first run coming in the bottom of the second when an RBI single from Kennedi Thomas scored Aubree Mouthaan.
Two more runs came in the third and fourth innings, respectively, as the home squad grabbed a 5-0 edge over the Lakers. In the third, Evy Lobdell laced an RBI double to score Danielle Hamilton and a Sarah Vrabel RBI groundout plated Shelby Weeks. The fourth featured a Hamilton RBI single to score Madison Burgess and Hamilton would then come around after a Meredith Rousse double.
A double-steal in the bottom half of the fifth inning had Lobdell score from third for the 6-0 Saginaw Valley lead. The seventh and final run of the game came when Rousse struck for a solo home run in the sixth to get the lead to 7-0.
It was more than enough for Appold, who moved to 6-3 after a first game victory where she threw 7.0 innings. She allowed just two hits, a pair of walks and had six strikeouts.
Four Cardinals had multiple hits in the game, with Hamilton notching three of those with two runs and an RBI. Rousse had a double, home run and a pair of RBIs while Lobdell had two hits with a double, RBI and run scored. Burgess added a pair of hits and scored a run.
The second game of the day was a low-scoring affair, as Appold kept the Laker hitters off the board through four innings and GVSU's Allison Lipovsky kept SVSU batters in-check all game.
The only two runs came in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Lakers got a McKenze Supernaw two-run home run after a walk to give GV the 2-0 lead.
Saginaw Valley's only hit came in the top of the third when Burgess had a double. Rousse was the only other SVSU baserunner after drawing a walk.
Appold (6-4) took the loss in the circle after allowing the two runs and five hits in 4.0 innings. She walked six batters as well. Samantha Willman tossed the final 2.0 innings, allowing no hits or runs and striking-out four batters.
The Cardinals hit the road for a pair of weekend series in GLIAC play. SVSU plays at Hillsdale Saturday (Apr. 16) in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader before paying Findlay a visit on Sunday (Apr. 17) at noon for a twinbill.
@SVSU_Softball | #svsusball
--- www.svsucardinals.com ---