MELBOURNE, FLA. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team split its two games on the second day of the Spring Break games in Florida. The Cardinals (5-5) took down Walsh 7-2 in game one before a handful of errors cost them in a late game two.
GAME 1 – SVSU 7 – Walsh 2
Paige Kolinski put the Cardinals on the board in the first inning with a double to left field that scored Ella Reifschneider for a 1-0 lead.
Emily Depew earned her second win of the season with her best performance of the season. She pitched 7.0 innings and struck out nine Walsh batters while only giving up two runs inside the circle.
An error scored two runs during a single to left field by Sydney Herioux that allowed Emily Beckas and Kaitlyn Pnacek to cross the plate.
Aalana Kimble singled to center field to score Reifschneider and Herioux to widen the gap to 5-0. Kimble scored on a stolen base by Kolinski for the final run of the second inning.
The Cavaliers prevented the shutout with two runs in the fourth inning. The first came on a bases-loaded ground out while the second came home on a wild pitch for a 6-2 score going into the fifth inning.
Herioux gave the final point to SVSU in the top of the fifth inning when she scored on a bases-loaded ground out.
GAME 2 – Wilmington 11 – SVSU 5
Kimble (L, 2-1) got the nod to start in the circle for game two which ran until nearly 1:00 a.m., EST. Kimble completed her six-inning appearance with four Ks and two earned runs to her credit. Alyssa Muench finished the game with one inning of work. where she sat down three batters.
The first error of the game for SVSU cost the team a run in the opening inning before a second run crossed the plate for an early 2-0 deficit.
Mya Purdy responded with a double down the left-field line to score Moos and halve the deficit. Reifschneider knotted things up with a single to left field to bring Purdy home after two walks loaded the bases. Kimble then walked to help Pnacek cross the place and give Saginaw Valley its first lead of the contest, 3-2. Kolinski walked following a pitching change and Herioux made it home for the final run of the second inning.
The Wildcats tied things up with two runs in the fourth inning and the deadlock would remain until the final inning.
WILMU benefitted from two Cardinal errors along with a three-run inside-the-park home run to tally seven runs in the final frame and move ahead 11-4.
SVSU threatened in the final half inning, loading the bases and getting one run across the plate with a walk, but the rally fell short and the game ended with the 11-5 final score.
Five Cardinals recorded a hit in the game. Reifschneider, Kimble, and Kolinski added an RBI. Olivia Sabin and Purdy both had doubles in the losing effort.
UP NEXT
SVSU will get a day off on Monday before a third doubleheader of the trip on Tuesday, March 5. The first contest is against Holy Family at 12:15 p.m. The day will conclude with a rematch against Walsh at 2:30 p.m.