ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team used seven runs through three innings to move past Davenport 7-3 on the first day of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tournament in Rosemont, Illinois. The Cardinals (32-14) start the postseason unblemished in the double-elimination tournament.

Sarah Gersch had a phenomenal day for SVSU as she went two-for-three at the plate with both of her hits going three bases. Maddie Campagna made her lone hit count with a two-run home run in the fourth inning that pushed the Cardinal advantage to 5-0. Alexis Gills had two hits and tied with Campagna with a team-high two RBI.

The first run in the game came in the bottom of the third when a dropped pop fly allowed Cam Coonan to score. Gills then singled through the left side to score both Gersch and Jackie Popko to extend the lead to 3-0.

Campagna's two-run home run over the left-field fence pushed the advantage to 5-0 after four innings.

The Panthers got on the board after a passed ball with the bases loaded brought a runner across the plate. Gersch then hit her second triple of the afternoon to score Pnacek. A throwing error on the same play allowed Gersch to score and the Cardinals led, 7-1 after five innings.

A wild pitch scored a run for Davenport in the top half of the sixth before a single to center field scored another and the Panthers cut the deficit to 7-3, but SVSU slammed the door and ended the game with the win.

Emily Depew (W, 14-6) got the start for the Cardinals and pitched the first five innings of the game before Alyssa Muench relieved her at the top of the sixth. Depew would return to the game after a third of an inning to give her a finishing stat line of 6.2 IP, six hits, one run, three walks, and seven strikeouts to earn the win.

UP NEXT

The SVSU softball squad will face Purdue Northwest in game six of the GLIAC Tournament tomorrow at 5:00 p.m., EST.