ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team split a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contests at Grand Valley State on Sunday (Apr. 27). The Lakers took game one by the score of 3-2 before the Cardinals earned a come from behind 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
SVSU finished regular season play at 26-9 overall and 18-6 in the GLIAC while GVSU finishes its season at 27-10 on the year and 16-6 in the conference.
Game One
The scoring action began in the top of the third inning after both teams were held scoreless in the first two frames. Amanda Kimes led-off the inning with a single through the right side and advanced to second base thanks to a Shelby Weeks sacrifice bunt. Junior Mackenzie Rousse stayed calm in the box on a 1-2 count to earn a single and push Kimes forward another base. A Laker wild pitch scored Kimes and put Rousse on third. Abby Stoner singled deep to center, far enough for Rousse to tag up to put SV up 2-0.
The Lakers evened the score in the fourth inning on a Miranda Cleary home run that scored herself as well as Briauna Taylor, who reached on a single.
The 2-2 score would hold until Grand Valley came back to take the lead in the fifth inning. The Lakers loaded the bases and scored off of a fielder's choice. They would eventually close out for the 3-2 victory.
Rousse led SVSU with two hits and a scored run.
Sarah Vrabel took the loss in the circle, giving up two earned runs on six hits while striking out two batters in her six inning effort.
Game Two
Grand Valley put up the first runs of the game in the third inning. Cleary reached base on a fielder's choice that scored a baserunner followed by a McKenze Supernaw single that scored Cleary to give the home team a 2-0 lead.
Saginaw Valley responded with a run of its own when Lindsay Hayward drove in Kimes to cut the margin to 2-1.
The scoring continued in the fourth inning for both teams. GVSU plated two runs in the top of the inning on a single and two doubles to make the score 4-1.
The Cardinals duplicated the Lakers' two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Nicole Romain pinch hit for Amanda Best and she delivered for SV. The junior drove a ball in to left field for a double before advancing to third on a Mallie Hall groundout. Kimes earned a full count walk to bring up Weeks. A fielder's choice was good enough to score Romain. Rousse earned the second walk of the inning to bring up Abby Stoner. The freshman singled to right, scoring Weeks to cut the Laker lead to one run at 4-3.
A Supernaw single plated a run for GV in the sixth to increase their lead to 5-3.
SVSU came up big in the sixth when it counted most. Deanna Stickler-Gatson singled and Weeks doubled to ignite the rally. A wild pitch scored Stickler-Gatson and moved Weeks to third base. Rousse came through with a hard ground ball to shotstop that was deep enough to score Weeks to tie the game at five heading in to the final inning.
Saginaw Valley's defense allowed no runs in the top of the inning, granting the visitors an opportunity to end the game with their bats. Kari Knight led-off with a single to give the Cardinals the baserunner they needed. Pitcher Sam Willman was entered into the game as a pinch runner for Knight. Romain hit a single to advance Willman to second base. A caught foul ball and a strikeout brought Kimes to the plate with two outs. The senior doubled to right center field on the first pitch she saw to end the game in walk-off fashion, 6-5.
Weeks, Stoner, Romain and Kimes all registered multi-hit games for SV.
Alexa Gehrls earned the win after replaceing Sarah Appold after three innings. Gehrls gave up seven hits and no runs in her four innings of work.
The Cardinals will be back in action this weekend, as they will compete in the 2014 GLIAC Softball Tournament in Findlay, Ohio. SVSU sits as the third overall seed heading in to the tournament that will take place May 2-4.