BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team won its fifth consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest Saturday (Apr. 12) as they traveled to take on Ferris State. The Cardinals won the first game 6-4 before the rain set in, forcing the second game to be postponed. 

After a scoreless first inning, SVSU got things going in the top of the second. Freshman Abby Stoner put the Cardinals on the board first with a home run that also drove in Lindsay Hayward, who reached on a Bulldog error.

SV added to the 2-0 lead in the next inning, scoring three more runs. Mackenzie Rousse began the inning with a double up the left side. Catcher Amanda Best reached base after getting hit by a pitch, bringing up Hayward. A single by the senior first baseman drove in Rousse, making the score 3-0. With no outs in the inning and a two-two count, Kari Knight drove a ball to deep right field that scored Best and Hayward. The Cardinals took the 5-0 lead to the fourth inning.

Ferris State broke out its bats in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs scored two runs on four hits to cut the Cardinal lead to 5-2.

The Bulldogs responded once more by driving in two runs off of a Amy Dunleavy homer. 

The 5-4 score was as close as FSU would get as SVSU added another run in the top of the seventh on a Rousse RBI walk to close out the 6-4 win. 

Abby Stoner's home run was the highlight of the afternoon for the Cardinals. 

Sarah Vrabel recorded the win, giving up six hits and three earned runs in her four and a third innings of work. Senior Alexa Gehrls registered her first save of the season, giving up just one hit in two and a third innings of work. 

Saginaw Valley improves to 19-5 overall and 11-2 in the GLIAC while Ferris State drops to 9-10 on the season and 4-5 in the conference.

The Cardinals are back in action Friday (Apr. 18) as they travel to Ashland to take on the Eagles. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for noon.