TIFFIN, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team traveled to Tiffin University to take on the Dragons in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader Sunday (Apr. 6). SVSU ended the first game in six innings with an 8-0 mercy victory before completing the sweep with an 8-1 game two win.
Game One
The Cardinals got on the board in the top of the first inning off of an Amanda Best RBI that drove-in Shelby Weeks who led-off the inning with a walk. The run gave SV a 1-0 lead.
Kari Knight and Deanna Stickler-Gatson walks and a fielder's choice allowed Marcy Medina to reach loaded the bases for the Cardinals in the fourth inning. A passed ball scored Claire Coopes-Meske, who pinch ran for Knight. Shelby Weeks followed with a single through the right side that scored Stickler-Gatson and Medina, extending the lead to 4-0.
Freshman slugger Abby Stoner started off the sixth inning with a home run to left field. Singles by Medina, Nicole Romain and a hit batter loaded the bases for Weeks. The sophomore reached on a fielder's choice that scored Medina on an error by the Dragon catcher. Tough times in the field continued for Tiffin as their shortstop misplayed a line out by Mackenzie Rousse that scored Chelsea Adcock. Up 7-0, Lindsay Hayward plated Stickler-Gatson on an RBI single up the middle to end the game with the eighth run.
Sarah Vrabel picked up her sixth win of the season in the 8-0 win. The sophomore gave up just three hits while striking out three Dragons in the complete game shutout.
Game Two
Tiffin plated the first run of the game in the top of the second on a Cassandra Brown single with the bases loaded. That gave the Dragons a 1-0 lead, but that advantage would not last for long.
The Cardinals responded in the bottom half of the inning with four runs of their own. Another error by the Tiffin catcher plated Coopes-Meske, who ran for Knight after she reached on a walk. For the second time in the twinbill, Weeks was up to bat with the bases loaded. A huge single to right field drove-in three Cardinal runs, making the score 4-1 after two innings of play.
Medina scored Knight in the bottom of the third to push the lead to 5-1.
The bases were juiced again in the bottom of the sixth, but this time it was Rousse's turn. Her sacrifice fly to center field scored Chelsea Adcock. Amanda Kimes plated Stickler-Gatson on her first at bat of the day and Hayward followed with the second sacrifice fly of the inning to score Weeks.
Tiffin would go hitless in the top of the seventh, sealing the 8-1 Cardinal win.
Sarah Appold remains undefeated after earning her fifth win on the year. She gave up a single hit while striking out nine Dragon batters in five innings of relief in the circle.
Weeks led the Cardinals offensively, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
SVSU improves to 16-5 overall and 8-2 in the GLIAC while Tiffin falls to 15-10 on the season and 4-4 in the conference.
The Cardinals are back in action Wednesday (Apr. 9) as they return home to take on Hillsdale College. The first game will begin at 3:00 pm at the SVSU Softball Complex.