PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team posted a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road sweep over Lake Erie College on Friday (Apr. 17). The Cardinals posted a 9-4 victory in the opener before claiming an 8-0 win in the second contest.
The sweep puts the Cards at 20-15 overall on the year with a 10-4 mark in the GLIAC. The Storm fall to 8-18 and 8-12 in league play.
Game One
SVSU did all of its scoring in the first three innings, taking a 9-0 advantage after the third frame. The first inning featured three runs, with Evy Lobdell ripping an RBI single to score Shelby Weeks, who was hit by a pitch. The other two runs came on an Amanda Best two-run home run that scored Jessica Wood. The second inning's scoring featured a Mackenzie Rousse double that plated DeAnna Stickler-Gatson and Chelsea Adcock. SV scored the other four runs in the third inning, with the damage coming off of two home runs. The first came from Meredith Rousse, as the knocked her first-career collegiate long ball to score Amanda Best. Stickler-Gatson added a solo shot later. The first run of the inning came after Wood hit a double and scored on an error.
Lake Erie answered with three runs in the bottom of the third and scored another run in the bottom of the sixth, making the score 9-4.
That's what the final score would be, as starting pitcher Sarah Appold improved to 6-7 with the complete game victory. She allowed just four hits and three earned runs, adding 10 strikeouts in the effort.
Saginaw Valley had 10 hits in the opener, with Mackenzie Rousse and Meredith Rousse each posting two hits and a pair of RBIs. Best was 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, adding two runs scored. Stickler-Gatson scored two runs to go along with the solo home run.
Game Two
The Cardinals scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the 2-0 lead, playing as the home team in the nightcap. Lobdell had an RBI single to score Mackenzie Rousse and Best had a single to score Lobdell for the second run.
SV went for five more runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning, extending the lead out to 7-0. Mackenzie Rousse had an RBI groundout for the first run then a Lobdell double scored Weeks and Stickler-Gatson. Nicole Romain stepped up to the plate next, driving a two-run home run that scored Lobdell as well. It was Romain's first round-tripper of the season and second in a Cardinal uniform.
The fifth inning saw the Cardinals add their final run of the day, using a Mallie Hall sacrifice bunt that moved Meredith Rousse to third base. She would cross the plate on a wild pitch, ending the game with the 8-0 score.
SVSU had another nine hits in the second game against the Storm. Lobdell was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Meredith Rousse was 2-for-3 with a run as well.
Sarah Vrabel notched the victory in the circle in the second game, working all 5.0 innings. She allowed just three hits while striking-out seven batters. Her record now stands at 7-5 for the 2015 season.
Saginaw Valley is back at it Saturday (Apr. 18) as it hosts the Northwood University Timberwolves in another GLIAC doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at the SVSU Softball Complex.