SALEM, Va. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team dropped its opening game in the NCAA Division II Softball Championships to the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks by a score of 2-1 today (5/26).

The Cardinals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.  Monica Gathright (Baroda, Mich./KVCC) ripped a base hit to right field with one out and advanced to second on a Kalie Burdick (Milford, Mich.) groundout to the pitcher.  Samantha Sutton (Armada, Mich.) would pinch-run for Gathright and be driven-in by a Kailah Happ (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) single to center field.

The Mavericks knotted the score at 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning, scoring an unearned run with two outs on a Kelly Wood single to left field that scored Eryn Edgerton.  Mankato would then take a 2-1 advantage in the top of the seventh inning on a solo home run by Amanda Umhoefer with one out.

That's all Maverick pitcher Courtney Mckelvogue would need, as she set the Cardinals down in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 2-1 victory.

Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) took the loss in the circle, pitching her 27th complete game of the season, allowing only a single earned run on six hits while striking-out eight batters and walking none.  She now has 392 strikeouts on the season, adding to her single-season GLIAC record.

The Cardinals managed only four hits in the contest, with Happ, Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson HS), Gathright and Jessica McKeith (River Rouge, Mich.) all posting hits in the game.  Happ had the only Cardinal RBI.

SVSU (40-17) is back in action Saturday (5/28) in an elimination contest against C.W. Post (41-15), which fell by a score of 7-0 to the University of California, San Diego in the tournament's first game.  First pitch for the game is set for noon.