UNIVERSITY CENTER - The Saginaw Valley State University softball team hosted the Lake Superior State University Lakers on Sunday (Apr. 19) in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader. The Cardinals honored their nine seniors prior to the first game and the seniors came through in a big way for SVSU. A senior-laden lineup led Saginaw Valley to a pair of mercy victories, posting 12-0 and 14-1 decisions in two five-inning contests.
Game One
The Cardinals wasted no time in getting ahead in the opener, going off for five runs in the bottom of the first inning for the 5-0 lead. Mallie Hall began the scoring, stealing third base on a pick-off attempt to third base and then scoring when a throwing error from the first baseman pushed her across the plate. A Marcy Medina RBI double would then score Mackenzie Rousse, who had a bunt single earlier in the inning. Amanda Best would dig-in next, blasting a three-run home run to the soccer bleachers that scored Medina and Kari Knight, who walked to reach base.
The bottom half of the second inning saw SVSU tack-on three more runs to extend the lead out to 8-0. Rousse singled to lead-off the inning, setting the plate for Knight. Knight delivered, lacing a home run over the center field fence for the two-run shot. A Chelsea Adcock RBI single would score Medina for the third run.
Saginaw Valley scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, pushing the lead to 12-0. Best led the inning off with a double and was lifted for pinch-runner Claire Coopes-Meske. Adcock stroked a double, trading spots with Coopes-Meske for the first run. Amanda Kimes would record an infield single to reach base as well. DeAnna Stickler-Gatson stepped in next and knocked a three-run home run to right-center, scoring Adcock and Kimes.
That 12-0 score is what the final would be, as starting pitcher Sarah Appold (8-7) got the victory after working 4.0 innings, allowing just two hits and striking-out five. Samantha Willman tossed the final inning and struck out one batter.
The Cards had 12 hits in the first game, six of those going for extra-bases. Adcock had three hits with two RBIs and a run scored while Stickler-Gatson had three RBIs with her home run. Best was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and a run as well. Knight was 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs and a run. Rousse was 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Game Two
The Cardinals scored in all five innings in the second game, starting the first inning with a single run on a Medina RBI single that scored Rousse. Rousse reached on an infield single and stole second. That made the score 1-0.
SVSU tacked-on another two runs when Stickler-Gatson hit a two-run home run that plated Nicole Romain, who reached base on a fielder's choice. The two runs extended the lead to 3-0.
Three more runs in the top of the third inning gave SV a 6-0 advantage over the Lakers. Rousse was on third base and scored after getting in a run-down on a failed squeeze play. Best followed next and blasted another home run, adding two more runs when it scored Medina who reached on a fielder's choice.
A Danielle Hamilton infield single in the fourth inning plated Jessica Wood for the 7-0 lead. Wood reached on an infield single herself to begin the frame.
The Cards used seven hits to add another seven runs in the top of the fifth inning, pushing the lead out to 14-0. Anna Conard had her first two collegiate hits in the inning, including a bases-clearing double for the final three runs. Hamilton, Taylor Gordon, Wood, and Meredith Rousse all had RBI base hits in the inning as well.
The Lakers scored their only run of the day in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 14-1, but that's what the score would remain after Annie Hansen closed-out the victory for the Cardinals. Sarah Vrabel notched the victory for SVSU, improving to 9-5 on the season after pitching 3.0 innings and allowing just one hit. She struck-out four batters in the contest.
SVSU ripped 14 hits in the second game, with three batters recording multiple hits. Hamilton was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and run scored. Conard was 2-for-2 as well, knocking-in three RBIs while scoring a run in her first hitting duty of her career. Wood was 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI and Best had the two-run home run for the Cardinals.
Saginaw Valley improves to 24-15 overall for the 2015 season with a 14-4 record in the GLIAC. The sweep makes in nine wins in a row for the Cards. The Lakers now stand at 11-24 on the year with a 4-17 mark in league play.
The Cardinals travel to play a doubleheader at Ferris State University on Monday (Apr. 20). First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. in Big Rapids, Michigan.