KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team defeated Concordia St. Paul and Slippery Rock Tuesday (Mar. 8) at the Rebel Spring Games. The Cardinals downed Concordia 8-0 in five innings and set-back Slippery Rock 5-3 in the nightcap. Saginaw Valley is now 6-2 overall on the season.

Game 1

The Cardinals lit up the scoreboard in the top of the third inning when they took a 7-0 lead over Concordia St. Paul. Saginaw Valley's first three runs came when senior Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) dug in and homered, scoring both Natalie Wellman (Fairhaven, Mich./Anchor Bay HS) and Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson HS). Junior Kalie Burdick (Milford, Mich.) singled up the middle later in the inning to score freshman Marcy Medina (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler HS) to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. Saginaw Valley tacked on three more runs in the inning when redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Kenyon (Tecumseh, Mich.) hit a homerun, scoring pinch runner Danielle Kern (Reese, Mich.) and senior Monica Gathright (Baroda, Mich./KVCC).

Medina scored in the top of the fifth when Kenyon doubled down the left field line, giving the Cardinals the 8-0 advantage. Senior Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) picked up her third win of the season, pitching all five innings while striking-out six and giving up three hits. The Cardinals scored eight runs on nine hits in the contest.

Game 2

Saginaw Valley came back after Slippery Rock took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals scored four runs in the bottom of the inning when senior Kimberly Sills (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) doubled to right center, scoring Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS). Wellman brought around two more runs for the Cardinals when she doubled down the left field line to score Sills and Coffin. Peterson stepped up to the plate and gave Saginaw Valley its third double in a row, scoring Wellman and making the lead 4-1.

The Cardinals went up 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when senior Ashley Jordan (Freeland, Mich.) laid down a perfect bunt that scored pinch runner Tori Taylor (Kitchener, Ont./Grand River CHS). Slippery Rock battled back in the top of the seventh with two runs, but it would not be enough, as the Cardinals went on to a 5-3 victory. 

Sophomore Alexa Gehrls (Caledonia, Mich.) got the win for Saginaw Valley, pitching four innings with five strikeouts. Fulton picked up her third save of the year. 

The Cardinals will be back in action on Wednesday (Mar. 9) when they take on Philadelphia Sciences at 9:00am and Indiana (Pa.) at 11:00am.