KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team rattled off its fifth straight win behind strong pitching performances from Jade Fulton and Kari Bowlby.  Fulton threw a perfect game against Shippensburg enroute to SVSU's 2-0 win and Bowlby threw a complete game, allowing no runs and stiking out eight. 

GAME ONE
The Cardinals would give starting pitcher Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) all the offense she would need in the top of the second inning. Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) led off the second with a bunt single and would score later in the inning on a perfectly placed Nicole Bigelow (Grandville, Mich.) sac bunt to give the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage.

SVSU would add an an insurance run in the top of the third when Lauren Memmer (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland HS) scored on a Peterson single to right field to give the Cardinals their second and final run of the game.

Fulton was the real story, as she kept the Shippensburg hitters off balance all afternoon as she retired 21 straight hitters. She would end the day with 12 strikeouts over seven innings, allowing no hits and no walks as the Cardinals won their fourth straight game at the Rebel Spring Games.

GAME TWO
Saginaw Valley would capitalize on a Southwest Minnesota State error in the first inning, scoring two runs on three hits thanks to a dropped pop-up by the Broncos' catcher. Memmer and Peterson would score on Angela Kaiser’s (Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes HS) line-drive double to left center. Kaliah Happ (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) would score on a throwing error in the second inning to extend the Cardinal lead to 3-0.

SVSU would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the third inning when Kim Sills (Clinton Twp./Chippewa Vally HS) lined a single up the middle that score Billi Hoeppner and Peterson to give the Cardinals their fifth and final run.

Kari Bowlby (Elkhart, Ind./Central) picked up her fourth win of the season, throwing seven shut-out innings, allowing just four hits, while striking out eight.

Saginaw Valley is 6-1 overall on the season and has won five straight games. They will play two more games on Monday (Mar. 8) at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla.