CLERMONT, Fla. - The SVSU softball team finished its 2015 spring trip to Florida with three games, as the Cardinals tangled with Lewis, Southern New Hampshire and Florida Tech to round-out play before heading back to Michigan. The ladies dropped the matchups to Lewis and Southern New Hampshire by a score of 2-1 before finishing the trip with a convincing 7-2 decision over Florida Tech.
Game One | Lewis
Playing the GLVC-affiliated and regional opponent Flyers for the second time this season, SV scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the 4th inning. Amanda Best laced a single to center field to begin the frame and she was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Shelby Weeks. Meredith Rousse dug-in at the box next, knocking a single to right field to score Best for the 1-0 lead.
Both pitchers kept the other team in check throughout the game, as SVSU's Sarah Appold and Lewis's Kelly Bowler were solid in the circle.
Neither team would score again until the top of the 7th inning.
The Flyers had the at-bat in the top of the 7th, and a single and walk were mixed-in with a pair of outs defensively for the Cardinals. With two outs, another Lewis better walked to load the bases and SV still had a chance to close-out for the victory.
Lewis got a two-RBI double, however, and grabbed a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
SVSU could get anything going in the last part of the 7th and the Flyers would come away with the slim 2-1 victory.
Best and Mackenzie Rousse each had two hits in the game while Meredith Rousse had a hit and an RBI, her first-career run driven-in. Evy Lobdell had the other hit for the Cards.
Appold took the loss in the circle for SVSU, throwing all 7.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. She struck-out four batters but walked four as well.
Game Two | Southern New Hampshire
Neither team was able to get much going offensively in the second game of the day either. The contest was scoreless through four innings and the Penmen were the first to get on the board after scoring a pair in the top of the 5th inning.
The Cards wouldn't get on the board until their final at-bats in the bottom of the 7th when Shelby Weeks hit a ball to right field that was mis-played and she got to third base. Weeks then caught the defense sleeping and took home and scored to cut the deficit to 2-1. Three consecutive outs would follow for SV, though, and Southern New Hampshire sealed the 2-1 victory.
SVSU notched four hits in the game, with leadoff hitter Madison Burgess getting two of them. Lobdell and Medina had the other two knocks for Saginaw Valley.
Annie Hansen took the loss on the mound, working 5.0 innings while allowing five hits and two runs.
Game Three | Florida Tech
Saginaw Valley did all of its damage in the top of the 2nd inning. SVSU scored seven runs to take a 7-0 lead in the game. DeAnna Stickler-Gatson reached on an error that scored Kari Knight for the first run. A Weeks RBI single followed next, plating Haley Bickham. Mackenzie Rousse dug-in and had an infield single that scored Danielle Hamilton for the third run. Lobdell kept things rolling with a two-RBI single that pushed Stickler-Gatson and Weeks across, with Rousse also scoring on an error by the catcher. Jessica Wood would knock-in Lobdell as well on the inning, marking the seventh run for the Cardinals.
Florida Tech cut into the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to make the score 7-2.
That would be all the scoring for both teams, as SVSU closed-out for the five run victory.
Anna Conard got the win in relief of Samantha Willman, as each tossed three innings. Willman struck-out three and Conard two.
Lobdell had a pair of hits with two RBIs and Rousse had two hits and an RBI. Medina was the other SVSU player with multiple hits in the game, posting two.
Saginaw Valley's record stands at 9-10 overall for the 2015 season. The Cardinals return north to continue the season, playing Cedarville in a doubleheader that begins at 3:00 pm in Ohio.