ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State softball team lost the first game to Grand Valley State 6-0 before surviving a 12-inning marathon against Missouri-St. Louis in the day's final game to move on to the finals against the Lakers on Saturday.
Game one: Grand Valley State def. Saginaw Valley State, 6-0
Sara Moos was the lone SVSU player to get a hit in the game against the Lakers. Emily Depew (L, 18-7) pitched another complete game in the losing effort. She allowed seven hits, six runs, and struck out nine GVSU hitters in the contest.
The Cardinals faced host Grand Valley State in the first game of day two. The Lakers took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after a double to right center brought the lead-off runner home.
It was a pitcher's duel for the next five innings as neither team could score through the sixth inning. SVSU left two runners on base through the first six frames and the Lakers defense made three diving plays to keep more Cardinals off the base path.
The GVSU offense woke up in the final inning as they recorded five runs on four hits to pull away to a 6-0 advantage with just three outs remaining in regulation. The final try for the Saginaw Valley offense was thwarted by the Laker defense as the Cardinals were retired in order to end the contest.
Game Two: Saginaw Valley State def. Missouri-St. Louis, 4-3 (12 innings)
Oliva Sabin, Katelyn Pnacek, Sarah Gersch, and Maddie Campagna each had two hits in the second game of the afternoon. Gersch recorded a team-high three RBI while also scoring twice herself. Jaclyn Groves pitched the first five innings for the Cardinals. She finished with a stat line of five hits, three hits, and two earned runs. Emily Depew entered the game in relief and earned the win after pitching seven innings while giving up five hits and striking out five batters.
The Tritons loaded the bases in the second inning and crossed the plate twice to take an early 2-0 lead. The score would remain there until the top of the fifth when Gersch smacked a home run that scored Sydney Herioux and Katelyn Pnacek to put the Cardinals ahead, 3-2 with just two and a half innings left in regulation.
A throwing error in the bottom of the fifth allowed a run for UMSL and a tie score at three all as the game moved into the final two innings of play.
The score remained knotted through the seventh and the game moved into extra innings. The Cardinals threatened with runners on second and third in the top of the ninth, but the Tritons escaped the inning and maintained the deadlock.
SVSU broke the tie with a bases-loaded single by Campagna that brought Gersch across the plate for the 4-3 lead in the top of the 12th inning.
Kolinski caught a pop-up in foul territory to retire the lead-off batter, Depew struck out the next, and Moos caught a pop-up to end the game and punch the Cardinals' ticket to the Regional Final round.
UP NEXT
Saginaw Valley State will get a rematch against host Grand Valley State University on Saturday with the first game starting at noon. A second game will take place at 2:30 p.m., EST, if necessary.