UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team took game one of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional with a 3-1 win over UIndy on Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals (47-12) rode a three-run home run by Natalie Savage in the bottom of the 2nd inning to take the 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with the Greyhounds (41-22).
Macy Irelan (W, 21-3) got the start in the circle and the win with her 22nd complete game of the season. She struck out six UIndy hitters while surrendering three hits and just one earned run in her seven innings of work. Ella Reifschneider was the only Cardinal player to record multiple hits, with two singles in the contest. Aalana Kimble finished with a hit, as did Olivia Elliott and Emma Helvie. Ella Schneider and Helvie scored runs on the Savage home run. Elliott's hit was the only double of the contest for SVSU.
The Greyhounds threatened in the first inning with a two-out double to left center by Josie Jager, but the Cardinals forced a fly out to center on the next play to keep the game scoreless. Kimble was stranded on first base after a lead-off base hit on a bunt started things for Saginaw Valley.
A walk and a sacrifice bunt moved Cheyenne Eads (L, 25-12) to second for UIndy, but two more outs kept the scoreless deadlock intact going into the home half of the inning. Helvie and Schneider fought for walks before Savage stepped up to the plate with two outs and two runners on and blasted a ball over the center field fence and putting SVSU ahead 3-0 after two frames.
Irelan and the Cardinal defense recorded three consecutive three-up-three-down innings to maintain the 3-0 lead going into the sixth. A swinging strikeout and a fly out put two outs on the board quickly before Cara Cooper hit a home run to center field and prevented the shutout for the Greyhounds with only one inning left to play.
Eads grounded out and Sydney Oliver fouled out before Irelan got Shelby Cook swinging for strike three, and the Cardinals sealed the win on day one of the Midwest Super Regional.
UP NEXT: Game two is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. ET, tomorrow (May 16) with a deciding game three taking play at 1:30 p.m. ET, if necessary. The winner of the series tomorrow will advance to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships held in Chattanooga, Tennessee beginning next Thursday, May 22.
