UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team competed in a Great Lakes Athletics Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader matchup Saturday (Apr. 11) against Malone University. The Cardinals were able to sweep the Pioneers with two come-from-behind victories, taking game one by a score of 12-7 and game two 8-4.
Game 1
After the Pioneers managed to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Saginaw Valley retaliated with two runs of its own after Shelby Weeks led-off the inning with a double and was later scored on a two RBI double from teammate Evy Lobdell to make the score 3-2.
Malone struck again in the second, however, and extended its lead out to 6-2.
It wasn't until the bottom of the third that the Cardinal offense fired up again. Another lead-off hit from Weeks, followed by a walk from Mackenzie Rousse, brought Lobdell to the plate with runners on once again. She reached on a single to load to bases and senior Marcy Medina was able to capitalize, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to score Weeks, cutting the deficit to 6-3.
Other than one unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, that was all for the Pioneer offense.
The Cardinals gradually chipped-away at their lead, scoring two in the fourth and one in the fifth, entering the bottom of the sixth down 7-6.
After Lobdell was able to draw a lead-off walk, she was followed by double from Medina and a two-RBI single from junior Chelsea Adcock for the Cardinals' first lead of the game, 7-6. Saginaw Valley didn't stop there however, as DeAnna Stickler-Gatson picked up an RBI later in the inning along with Mackenzie Rousse, who managed a bases-loaded triple to pick up three RBIs of her own. With the defense shutting down the Pioneers in the top of the seventh, Saginaw Valley took the win by a score of 12-7.
The Cardinals posted 10 hits in the game, led by Rousse who recorded five RBIs off of two hits and Lobdell with two hits and a pair of RBIs.
Anna Conard picked up the win in the circle. She improved to 4-1 on the season after working seven innings, allowing seven runs off of 11 hits. She walked three and struck-out four as well.
Game 2
The Cardinals were able to strike first in game two, with Weeks hitting a lead-off solo homerun to center field to give her team a 1-0 lead.
Malone fought back in the bottom of the fourth however, picking up four runs of their own off of just two hits, making the score leaving the first 4-1 in the visitors' favor.
Saginaw Valley scored another run in the second off of yet another RBI from Weeks, making the score 4-2 heading out of the second inning.
As sophomore Sarah Appold took over on the mound, that was the end of the Pioneer's offense and the Cardinals did not allow another run the rest of the game.
Unable to get the bats going against their conference opponent, it was not until the bottom of the seventh when Saginaw Valley began its comeback. Beginning with a lead-off walk by Lobdell, the Cardinals quickly knotted up the score at 4-4 with back-to-back RBI hits from Medina and Amanda Best. Later a single from pinch hitter Meredith Rousse loaded the bases as she was followed by a single to right field from teammate Jessica Wood to take the lead, 5-4. Another RBI from Weeks, as well as a sacrifice fly RBI from Mackenzie Rousse, increased the Cardinal lead to 7-4. Saginaw Valley's final run of the evening came off of an RBI double from Lobdell that made the final 8-4.
SV out-hit the Pioneers 15-4 and were led by Weeks with three hits and three RBIs as they completed their second comeback victory on the day.
Appold took the win in the circle for the Cardinals as she threw 6.2 shutout innings and allowed just two hits. Appold also recorded eight strikeouts in the victory.
SVSU's record now stands at 15-14 overall with a 5-3 mark in the GLIAC while the Pioneers are 3-18 and 0-11 in league play.
The Cardinals are back in action Sunday (Apr. 12) as they take on Walsh University in a doubleheader at the SVSU Softball Complex. First pitch is set for noon for the GLIAC matchups.