CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team hit the road for a mid-week, non-conference doubleheader against the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets on Tuesday (Mar. 24) afternoon. It was a familiar foe for SVSU, as the Cardinals faced Cedarville earlier this season on the team's spring trip in Florida. SV claimed that meeting by a score of 9-5 on March 1. The teams would split the contests on Tuesday, with Saginaw Valley posting a 7-1 victory in the opener before dropping a 4-3 thriller in the nightcap.
Game One
After Cedarville got on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st inning, SVSU responded with three runs in the top of the 2nd inning to take a 3-1 lead. Shelby Weeks knocked an RBI single to center field, scoring Jessica Wood, who reached base on a walk to begin the inning. DeAnna Stickler-Gatson was due next. She had a single up the middle that scored Amanda Best, who singled earler, and Weeks.
The visitors added another run in the 3rd inning, taking a 4-1 advantage. Mackenzie Rousse singled to begin the frame and advanced to second on an Evy Lobdell single. Wood singled next, loading the bases with no outs. Marcy Medina dug-in next and had the fourth straight single for the Cards, scoring Rousse.
SV grabbed a 5-1 advantage in the 5th inning, capitalizing on a Lady Jacket error that would allow Lobdell to score. The Cards added another two runs in the top of the 7th and closed things out for the 7-1 victory.
Saginaw Valley exploded for 14 hits in the opener, tying a season-high. Five players had two hits for the visitors, with Weeks and Medina each having two with an RBI. Weeks scored two runs as well. Lobdell, Madison Burgess and Amanda Best were the other with multiple base knocks. Stickler-Gatson had one hit with a team-best three RBIs.
Sarah Appold (3-3) got the win in the circle, working all seven innings. She allowed just three hits, walking three and striking-out 10. The 10 K's is a season-high for Appold.
Game Two
The Cardinals had several scoring chances throughout the second game but found themselves down by a 2-0 count heading into the final inning.
That's when the visiting squad finally pushed some runs across the plate, scoring three runs to take the 3-2 edge. After Rousse singled and stole second with one out, Lobdell laced an RBI single to right field to score her. Best followed with a triple, scoring Burgess, who pinch-ran for Lobdell. Medina was up next and she had a sacrifice fly down the right field line, scoring best for the go-ahead run.
Cedarville was able to gain the lead back, however, in the bottom of the 7th. The Yellow Jackets used a pair of singles and three Cardinal errors to pull out the 4-3 walk-off victory.
The Cards had 10 hits in the nightcap but committed six errors on the defensive end. Four of those hits came from Nicole Romain, who marked a career-high with the four base hits. Lobdell, Best and Medina added a hit and an RBI in the game. Best had the only extra-base hit with the triple in the 7th inning.
Sarah Vrabel took the loss pitching, tossing just 2.0 innings while allowing four runs, only one earned. Two of the four runs allowed by SVSU were unearned.
The split puts Saginaw Valley at 10-11 overall for the 2015 season heading into Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play this weekend on the road. The ladies play at Ashland Saturday (Mar. 28) and at Lake Erie Sunday (Mar. 29). Both days will feature a doubleheader, starting at noon.