UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team defeated Lake Superior State University today (4/19) by a score of 11-0 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest. The match-up was set for a doubleheader, but the second contest was cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Cardinals scored the first run of the contest when sophomore Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich. / Kettering HS) crossed the plate on a pass ball by the Lakers. Saginaw Valley went up by two when Natalie Wellman (Fairhaven, Mich. / Anchor Bay HS) hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stephenson HS). The Cardinals scored one more run in the top of the third when Jenna Holmes (Jenison, Mich.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) to score from third base.
Saginaw Valley tacked-on two more runs to extend its lead to five in the top of the sixth inning. Pinch runner Samantha Sutton (Armada, Mich.) came in on a passed ball for Saginaw Valley to give it a 4-0 lead over the Lakers. Coffin then laced a single up the middle for the Cardinals, scoring freshman Tori Taylor (Kitchener, Ont.) from third base.
In the top of the seventh inning Saginaw Valley scored six more runs on six hits. The Cardinals' first run of the inning came in when senior Monica Gathright (Baroda, Mich. / KVCC) singled to right field, bringing in Marcy Medina (Valparaiso, Ind. / Wheeler HS). Ashley Beal (Milan, Mich.) drove in both Gathright and Sutton, extending the SVSU lead to eight. McKeith scored for the Cardinals when Coffin laced a double to left field for the 9-0 lead over the Lakers. Pinch hitter Danielle Kern (Reese, Mich.) brought in the last two runs for Saginaw Valley when she singled to second base, scoring both Coffin and Beal for the 11-0 victory.
Senior Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) picked-up her 18th win of the season for the Cardinals, pitching five innings while striking-out 11. Sophomore Alexa Gehrls (Caledonia, Mich.) pitched two innings in relief.
Saginaw Valley improves to 29-11 overall on the season and 16-5 in the GLIAC while Lake Superior falls to 5-21 overall and 2-17 in the GLIAC. The Cardinals will be back in action on Friday (4/22) when they travel to Northwood University for a GLIAC contest. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3:30 pm.