UNIVERSITY CENTER, MICH. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team suffered two losses to Grand Valley State at home in a GLIAC doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals (24-17, 11-7 GLIAC) suffered a tough 3-1 loss in game one after the Lakers (26-19, 9-7 GLIAC) hit a two-run home run in the final inning. Game two was another tightly contested game with SVSU suffering a 2-1 defeat to GVSU.
GAME 1 – GVSU 3 – SVSU 1
Emily Depew (L, 12-6) got the start and went the distance in the circle for game one. Depew struck out six GVSU batters in the losing effort.
The lone run for SVSU came in the opening frame when a wild pitch brought Ella Reifschneider home for the 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals led through the first four innings until an RBI single by GVSU in the fifth inning knotted things up.
GVSU hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh that proved to be the difference in the 3-1 final.
Reifschneider was 3-4 in game one with a run scored to lead the offensive effort. Sara Moos recorded two hits in her three appearances including one double to bring her season total to 16 in that category.
GAME 2 – GVSU 2 – SVSU 1
Aalana Kimble (L, 6-5) started in game two and pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals to record her sixth complete game for the season.
The Lakers struck first with two runs in the top of the third inning on a single with the bases loaded. Olivia Sabin responded in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly that scored Kimble, who led off the inning with a triple, and the score sat at 2-1 after three.
The Cardinals would threaten in the bottom of the seventh inning when Paige Kolinski hit a deep double to center field with one out to put a runner in scoring position. Sydney Herioux then hit a single to move Kolinski's pinch runner, Paige Thomson, to third base on the next play. Herioux stole second with two outs to put the winning run in scoring position, but a groundout to short halted the late push.
Kimble helped her own cause by leading the SVSU bats with a single and triple during her four plate appearances. She scored the game's only run for the Cardinals following her triple in the third inning. Kolinski added a double and Herioux a single to the stat line. Sabin tallied an RBI and a walk in game two.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will remain at home to host Wayne State in a GLIAC doubleheader on Saturday, April 20. The matchup is THE GAME for SVSU, with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 1:00 PM EST.