UNIVERSITY CENTER - Using a late RBI single from Nicole Romain and a strong pitching performance from Sarah Appold, the SVSU softball team claimed an extra-innings victory in the first game of a split with Wayne State.  The Cardinals won the opener on Sunday (Apr. 26) by a score of 1-0 in nine innings, but fell in the nightcap by a 6-1 count.

Game One

Sunday's opener was a pitcher's duel, as Appold and Wayne State's Lyndsay Butler combined for 24 strikeouts.  

Neither team advanced a runner past second base until the bottom of the eighth inning.  That featured a DeAnna Stickler-Gatson infield single with two outs.  Shelby Weeks followed with a double down the right field line, giving the home team the game's first scoring chance.  The Warriors had a relay play into the plate, as Stickler-Gatson was cut down at the plate after initially avoiding the tag from the catcher.  

Mackenzie Rousse started the ninth inning off with a single up the middle, her second hit of the game.  She moved up to second on a Marcy Medina groundout, sitting in scoring position with two outs.  Romain dug-in next, lacing a single off the third baseman, who was playing in.  The ball bounced over towards the SVSU dugout, which allowed Rousse to score the game-winning run.

Appold (11-7) got the win in the first game, tossing all 9.0 innings and striking-out 10 batters in the shutout effort.  She allowed just five hits and walked only one batter in her third shutout of the season.

Rousse was 2-for-4 and scored the winning run, being knocked in by Romain.  Weeks had a double for the game's only extra-base hit and Medina and Stickler-Gatson had the other hits for the Cards.

Game Two

The Warriors notched a single run in the bottom of the first inning and added five more in the fourth frame to take a 6-0 lead in the second game. 

The Cardinals responded with a run in the top of the fifth inning, making the deficit 6-1 after a Romain RBI double scored Rousse.

That's all SVSU would score in the nightcap, as Wayne State closed out for the five-run victory.

Rousse was 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in the second game to lead the offense once again.  Evy Lobdell, Romain and Meredith Rousse had the other hits for the Cardinals, with Romain's double marking the only extra-base base knock for SV.

Saginaw Valley will enter this week's GLIAC Tournament as the #3 seed.  The tournament begins on Friday (May 1) at the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay, Ohio.  The Cardinals will open play against either Findlay, Hillsdale or Tiffin at noon.