UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team took two games from Grand Valley State today (4/30) 7-3, and 4-3 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest.

Game one remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Cardinals scored four runs on three hits. The first run came when freshman Marcy Medina (Valparaiso, Ind. / Wheeler HS) doubled to center field, allowing Natalie Wellman (Fairhaven, Mich. / Anchor Bay HS) to score. Saginaw Valley took the 4-0 advantage over the Lakers when sophomore Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich. / Kettering HS) hit a homerun over the left field fence, scoring both Kalie Burdick (Milford, Mich.) and Medina.

The Cardinals extended their lead to five in the bottom of the sixth inning when senior Monica Gathright (Baroda, Mich. / KVCC) singled through the left side and Medina scored on a Grand Valley throwing error. Saginaw Valley took the 6-0 lead when Happ laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed senior Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) to cross home. McKeith would bring in the Cardinals final run of the contest when she singled to second base and Gathright scored from third.

The Lakers battled back in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three runs on four hits, but the Cards held on for a 7-3 victory. Medina ended the contest going 3-for-3, while Happ went 2-for-2with four runs batted in. Senior Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) got the start in the circle, pitching six innings while posting ten strikeouts. Sophomore Alexa Gehrls (Caledonia, Mich.) came on in relief, pitching one inning for the Cardinals.

Saginaw Valley would once again light up the scoreboard first in game two, scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the third inning. Freshman Tori Taylor (Kitchener, Ont.) scored first for the Cardinals when she crossed the plate on a single up the middle by Kaitlyn Kenyon (Tecumseh, Mich.). Wellman laced a single that would score Coffin and give Saginaw Valley the 2-0 lead over the Lakers.

The Cardinals tacked-on one run in the top of the fifth when Peterson laced a single through the right side that brought in Wellman. Saginaw Valley took the 4-0 advantage over the Lakers in the top of the sixth inning when Happ crossed the plate on a McKeith single to right field. Grand Valley came within one run of the Cardinals in the bottom of the sixth inning when they scored three runs on four hits.

Saginaw Valley held the Lakers scoreless in the bottom of the seventh inning, going on to a 4-3 victory. Fulton pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals, totaling eleven strikeouts and making her 23-7 overall on the season.

With the wins, Saginaw Valley improves to 34-14 overall on the season and 21-8 in the GLIAC, while Grand Valley falls to 37-12 overall and 23-9 in the GLIAC. The Cardinals will be back in action Sunday (May 1) when they travel to Lake Superior State for their final regular season game. The single game is scheduled for 2:00 pm.