UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team swept Ferris State today (Apr. 10) 11-8, and 12-5 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest.
The Cardinals got their bats going early, scoring four runs on two hits in the bottom of the first inning of game one. The first run came in when freshman Marcy Medina (Valparaiso, Ind. / Wheeler HS) reached first on a fielder's choice, allowing Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stephenson HS) to score from third. Junior Kalie Burdick (Milford, Mich.) would then hit a three run homerun to give the Cardinals an early 4-0 advantage over the Bulldogs.
Ferris State put their first two runs on the board in the top of the third inning, however the Cardinals would answer right back in the bottom of the third scoring three runs on three hits to extend their lead to five.
Saginaw Valley tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when junior Natalie Wellman (Fairhaven, Mich. / Anchor Bay HS) singled through the right side, scoring Jessica McKeith (River Rouge, Mich.) The Bulldogs added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning on two hits to make the score 8-4. The Cardinals would again answer with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. The first two runs came in on back-to-back singles by Kimberly Sills (Clinton, Twp., Mich. / Chippewa Valley HS) and Tori Taylor (Kitchener, Ont.). The final run of the inning crossed the plate when Coffin reached first on a fielding error by the Bulldogs, allowing Sills to advance home.
Ferris State battled back in the top of the seventh inning scoring four runs on two hits, but it would not be enough as Saginaw Valley went on to a 11-8 victory.
Senior Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) got the win for the Cardinals pitching six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks, while Alexa Gehrls (Caledonia, Mich.) entered in relief for one inning. Burdick went three-for-three with three runs batted in, while both Wellman and McKeith went two-for-three.
In game two, Saginaw Valley picked up right where they left off, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning on five hits and one Ferris State error. The Cardinals first runs scored as Medina reached first on a fielding error that scored both Wellman and Coffin. McKeith stepped into the box for SVSU and singled up the middle bringing around Medina just before redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Kenyon (Tecumseh, Mich.) laced a double to right center field that scored Burdick. The final run of the inning came in when Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich. / Kettering HS) grounded out to shortstop, allowing McKeith to score from third base.
Saginaw Valley tacked on three more runs extending their lead to eight in the top of the third inning. Both Medina and Burdick scored from third on ground outs by the Cardinals. Taylor stepped into the box for SVSU and laced a triple to right center field that scored Happ for the 8-0 lead over Ferris.
The Bulldogs would score two runs on three hits and one Cardinal error in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Saginaw Valley would add two runs in the top of the sixth when Taylor scored on a sacrifice fly and Coffin scored on a single by Monica Gathright (Baroda, Mich. / KVCC).
Ferris State scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning, while the Cardinals came back with two runs when Kenyon homered over the center field fence. The Bulldogs tried to come back in the bottom of the seventh scoring one run on one hit, but it would not be enough as the Cardinals went on to a 12-5 victory.
Gehrls picked up her ninth win of the season pitching all seven innings with seven strikeouts. Both Wellman and McKeith had three hits for the Cardinals.
Saginaw Valley improves to 25-10 overall on the season and 12-4 in the GLIAC, while Ferris State falls to 13-15 overall on the season and 10-6 in the GLIAC. The Cardinals will be back in action on Friday (Apr. 15) when they face Lake Erie. The double header is scheduled for 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.