UNIVERSITY CENTER - The SVSU softball team hosted the Lake Erie Storm on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at the SVSU Complex. Coming off a Friday split with the Ashland Eagles, the Cardinals responded with a sweep over the Storm with scores of 3-2 and 7-2 in the GLIAC doubleheader.
With the two victories, SVSU moves to 30-14 overall on the year and 14-10 in the GLIAC. Lake Erie finishes its 2016 season with records of 16-26 and 7-17, respectively. The 30 victories mark the second straight year that the Cardinals have eclipsed that mark and the 10th time in the history of the program that the team has won 30-plus games.
Saginaw Valley clinched a spot in the 2016 GLIAC Softball Tournament in the process, as the Cardinals currently sit sixth in the rankings with just two games left on Sunday.
Game One
The Cards got a run in the bottom of the first for the 1-0 lead when Eby Lobdell hit an RBI grounder to short, scoring Madison Burgess.
The Storm responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third to grab the lead at 2-1.
Saginaw Valley evened things up in the home half of the fourth as senior Jessica Wood hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory that allowed pinch-runner Anna Conard to score and make the score 2-2.
The final run of the game came in the fifth, as Danielle Hamilton ripped an RBI single to plate Burgess for the winning run and secure the final count of 3-2.
Inside the Boxscore
- Hamilton was 3-for-3 with an RBI in the opener.
- Burgess added two hits, including a triple, and scored twice to go along with a walk.
- Sarah Vrabel had a double in the contest to account for the team's sixth hit.
- Lobdell and Wood joined Hamilton with an RBI each.
- Vrabel, the senior, improved to 7-3 on the season after tossing a complete game while allowing just two runs on five hits. She allowed three walks and struck-out seven batters.
Game Two
SVSU brought the bats in the nightcap, belting six extra-base hits, including three home runs to total 11 hits in the 7-2 victory.
Weeks and Lobdell each had solo shots in the second and third innings, respectively, to put the score at 2-1 in the Cardinals' favor. The long ball for Lobdell was the first of her SVSU career.
Wood added another long ball, a two-run blast to run the tally to 4-1 when she drove-in Vrabel.
The top of the sixth featured RBI base hits from Weeks, Bethaney Murphey and Vrabel to increase the lead to 7-1. The hits plated Hamilton, Weeks and pinch-runner Samantha Willman to account for the runs.
Lake Erie added a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the count 7-2, which is where it would stay.
Inside the Boxscore
- Weeks had three hits with a home run, double, two RBIs and two runs in the second contest. She now has a career-high 10 home runs for the season and 39 RBIs. Both of those lead the GLIAC.
- Vrabel, Murphey and Hamilton each chipped-in with a pair of hits as well in game two. Vrabel had a double with an RBI and run scored, Murphey a double and RBI and Hamilton scored once.
- Lobdell and Wood made their only hits count, notching home runs.
- Senior Sarah Appold moved to 9-6 overall on the season in the circle after her complete game, four-hit performance in which she posted 11 strikeouts. She allowed just two runs and a single walk in the contest.
Up Next...
SVSU honored Claire Coopes-Meske, Shelby Weeks, Jessica Wood, Sarah Vrabel and Sarah Appold before Saturday's games and those five will play their final home doubleheader on Sunday (Apr. 24) in a make-up game against the Tiffin University Dragons. The GLIAC doubleheader is set for noon at the SVSU Softball Complex.
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