SVSU Powers Way to Senior Day Sweep Over Northwood

The Cardinals honored their seven seniors prior to Sunday's DH versus Northwood...
The Cardinals honored their seven seniors prior to Sunday's DH versus Northwood...

UNIVERSITY CENTER -- The Cardinal Softball team had the opportunity to honor its seven senior student-athletes prior to Sunday's doubleheader versus Northwood. Those seniors stood strong in the games, leading Saginaw Valley to a sweep with a 14-13 game one victory before claiming a 10-2 win in five innings in the nightcap.

Game 1

The Cardinals ran out to a 12-2 lead after three innings, with seven being scored in the 2nd frame. The game was led-off for SV with Lauren Bachert drilling one over the left field fence. The big blow of that inning was off the bat of Shelby Misiak, who knocked her first career home run with a grand slam. The two runs that came in the 3rd inning were via a pair of solo home runs. Danielle Hamilton had her first career home run and Courtney Reeves had her first home run of the day as well. 

The Timberwolves clawed back into the game, scoring three in the 4th and another six in the 6th, trimming the deficit to 12-11 after SVSU was just a single run away from closing the game out in the 5th inning.

A pair of big runs came the Cardinals' way in the bottom of the 6th on an RBI single from Maddy Burgess and a Blasie Moyler walk with the bases loaded. That made the score 14-11. 

Northwood had a two-run long ball with no outs to begin the 7th inning, making the game interesting once again with the score 14-13. 

Mikayla Alexandrou, who picked up the save in the game, closed-out from there with retiring three of the next four batters to preserve the single run victory.

Anna Conard (10-5) picked up the victory, working 4.1 innings. She allowed six runs on 10 hits, striking out two batters and walking a pair. 

The Cards had a season-high four home runs in the game, with Lauren Bachert, Hamilton, Reeves and Misiak all going deep. Their 15 hits matched a season best as well. 

Bachert was 4-5 in the game with the home run, a double, two runs and an RBI. Burgess was 3-4 with a double, run and RBI. Hamilton went 2-5 with the home run, a triple, two runs and three RBI. Reeves posted a 2-2 performance with the home run, RBI and three runs scored. Aubree Mouthaan was 2-4 with a run while Misiak had the grand slam. Meredith Rousse and Evy Lobdell walked twice, with Rousse adding a stolen base.

Game 2

After the Cards got on the board for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st, Northwood scored twice in the 2nd to take a 2-1 edge.

Saginaw Valley had a big home half of the 3rd, however, scoring five runs to take the lead back and make the score 6-2. Courtney Reeves had a two-run line drive home run, giving her a league-leading 10 for the season now. Burgess added an RBI single and Bachert drove home two with a double.

The home team added two more in the 4th and 5th, respectively, to eventually end the game early at 10-2 in five innings. In the 4th, Lobdell had a two-RBI single and Rousse added an RBI single in the 5th. Julia Miller finished the game, scoring Rousse for the final run with an RBI single that she belted over the center fielder's head.

Rousse had a big game, going 4-4 with three runs and an RBI. Reeves had a 2-2 game with the home run, two runs and a pair of RBI. Miller and Burgess each had two hits with a pair of RBI. Lobdell and Bachert had a hit and two RBI as well for the home squad. 

Hamilton, Rousse and Alexis Cerven all stole a base in game two. 

Alexandrou (7-6) notched the win in the circle, working all 5.0 innings. She let in just a single earned run with five strikeouts and zero walks. 

Up Next...

The Cardinals host Purdue Northwest on Monday (Apr. 23) afternoon in another league tilt. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. at the SVSU Softball Complex.

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