ALLENDALE – The SVSU softball team traveled to take-on Grand Valley State University on Wednesday (Apr. 15) in a mid-week doubleheader. The Cardinals made it five wins in their last six games, posting a sweep over the Lakers. SVSU claimed the first game by a 10-4 score before posting a 9-1 victory in the nightcap, a game that was called after six innings due to the mercy rule.
The Cardinals scored four runs in the top of the first inning in the opener, using an RBI single by Marcy Medina that plated Mackenzie Rousse and an Amanda Best three-run home run that drove-in Medina and Evy Lobdell.
The Lakers responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, cutting the lead to 4-3. GVSU would score another in the home half of the third inning, knotting the score at 4-4.
Saginaw Valley pushed the lead out to 7-4 after notching three runs in the top of the fifth. Another Medina single scored Rousse and Shelby Weeks and a bases-loaded walk to Jessica Wood allowed Lobdell to score.
Three more SV runs in the top half of the seventh made the score 10-4. Wood got another RBI with an RBI single that scored Medina and Claire Coopes-Meske would add another run on a wild pitch. Amanda Kimes put one in play that was booted by the Laker second baseman, allowing Danielle Hamilton to score for the final run.
The six-run lead would hold true and the Cards took the game by the 10-4 count.
SVSU recorded nine hits in the opener, three coming from Medina who added three RBIs and two runs as well. Best was 2-for-3 with the big three-run blast and Wood had a hit and two RBIs.
Sarah Appold (5-7) got the win in the circle, working all seven innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits. She struck-out five batters in the effort as well.
The Lakers scored first in the second game, taking a 1-0 lead after the top of the third inning.
From there, it was all SVSU, as the Cards answered quickly with four runs in the bottom of the third frame to take the 4-1 advantage. A bases-loaded triple from Rousse cleared the bases to score Kimes, Weeks and DeAnna Stickler-Gatson for the first three. A Lobdell sacrifice fly came later to score Rousse from third.
Saginaw Valley held the Lakers scoreless the rest of the way and added five more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end with a 9-1 victory. A Kimes RBI single scored Coopes-Meske while Lobdell and Medina also added RBIs. The Cardinals also took advantage of a couple Laker errors in the frame.
Sarah Vrabel (6-5) got the victory for SVSU, pitching all six innings while scattering seven hits with one earned run.
Rousse had two hits with four RBIs in the second game and Kimes added a pair of base hits with an RBI and two runs. Lobdell was 1-for-1 with two RBIs as well.
Saginaw Valley (18-15, 8-4 GLIAC) is in action next on Friday (Apr. 17), as the Cardinals travel to play at Lake Erie College in a GLIAC doubleheader.