LEBANON, Ill. -- The Cardinal Softball team got its 2019 season underway on Friday afternoon, facing McKendree University on the road. After falling on a walk-off home run in the opener and 8-6 score, the Cards bounced back and claimed an 8-6 win over the Bearcats in the nightcap.
Game 1
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, SVSU responded with a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings, respectively, to take a 2-1 edge. Blasia Moyler had a home run and Shelby Misiak scored Alicia Kolacki for the runs.
McKendree would respond with three in the home half of the 3rd, taking a 4-2 lead.
That wouldn't last long, as Saginaw Valley used another Moyler solo shot in the firth with a Kolacki sac fly that plated Alex Roob. The 5th saw Moyler drive-in Aubree Mouthaan for another run and a 5-4 edge.
Saginaw Valley pushed the lead to 6-4 in the top of the 7th when Misiak drilled a solo home run of her own, giving the visitors the two-run lead.
The Bearcats put up a rally in the home half, however, using back-to-back doubles, a single and a three-run walk-off home run to steal the game by an 8-6 final score.
Moyler finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Misiak had a home run and pair of RBI with two hits. Meagan VerVaecke added two hits of her own in three at-bats. Kolacki was 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored.
Hannah Atwell (0-1) took the loss in the circle, working the final 3.2 innings. She gave up four runs on eight hits. Jaclyn Groves got the start, going 2.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Game 2
Saginaw Valley jumped out to a 5-0 lead after scoring two runs in the 2nd and a trio in the 3rd for the lead. Moyler had an RBI double in the 2nd and VerVaecke had a sacrifice fly to score her. In the 3rd, Mouthaan ripped a two-RBI double and Moyler scored her later with a sac fly.
The Bearcats responded with six straight runs in the 4th through 6th innings to take a 6-5 lead.
The Cardinals responded in a huge way in the top of the 7th, with Becky Corbett ripped a two-RBI triple to plate Kolacki and Alexis Cercen before Misiak pushed Corbett across on a sac fly for the 8-6 edge.
SVSU held strong in the bottom of the 7th and sealed the 8-6 road victory.
Kolacki and Mouthaan had two hits-apiece in the victory while Mouthaan and Moyler each had two RBI. Corbett had a pair of runs driven-in as well with her triple. Mouthaan's hits were both doubles.
Kasey Bagelmann worked 1.1 innings of relief of Mikayla Alexandrou who tossed 5.1 innings with the start. Alexandrou picked up the save by closing-out the ball game and the final 1/3 inning pitched after being re-entered into the game. Julia Mundy (1-0) finished the 6th inning and was the winning pitcher for the Cardinals.
Up Next...
The teams are slated to have another doubleheader on Sunday (Feb. 24), which will begin at 9:00 a.m. eastern time. You can follow along with live stats on the SVSU Softball schedule.
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