FINDLAY, Ohio - The SVSU softball team began play at the 2016 GLIAC Tournament on Friday at the Marathon Diamonds, entering the tournament as the no. 6 seed. Saginaw Valley split on day one, defeating Hillsdale and falling to Findlay.
The Cardinals posted an opening 3-0 shutout over the no. 3 Chargers behind a one-hitter from Samantha Willman and home runs from Evy Lobdell and Shelby Weeks. SVSU then dropped a 4-2 decision to the no. 7 seeded Oilers in the second game of the day.
Game One - Hillsdale
SVSU was the benefactor of two Charger errors in the top of the first and the visitors for game one took a 1-0 advantage when Danielle Hamilton scored on a throwing error by the first baseman.
The score remained there until the top half of the fourth, when Evy Lobdell blasted a solo home run to center field to give the Cards a 2-0 edge.
The third run for SV came in the top of the sixth, when Weeks joined the fun with a solo shot of her own to left field, pushing the lead to 3-0.
That's all the support Willman required, as she lost her no-hitter bid with an out in the seventh inning. She kept the Chargers in-check all afternoon and sealed the shutout victory for the Cardinals.
Inside the Boxscore
- Lobdell had three of the Cardinals' seven hits in the game, including the solo home run.
- Madison Burgess added a pair of hits and a stolen base.
- Weeks had the other RBI for SV on her solo blast. It was her league-leading 11th home run of the season.
- Hamilton had the other hit for the Cardinals and a steal.
- Willman (8-4) had another great performance, allowing just a single hit and walk. She notched six strikeouts in her complete game performance.
Game Two - Findlay
The Cardinals jumped out in front early with two runs in the bottom half of the second to make the score 2-0. Bethaney Murphey had an RBI double off the left field fence that plated Weeks and an Aubree Mouthaan RBI single to center field allowed Lobdell to score.
The Oilers would score an unearned run in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 2-1. Findlay would benefit from three SV errors in the fifth to add a pair and make the score 3-2. Another error and unearned run came in the top of the sixth, making the count 4-2.
Saginaw Valley could not get on the board from there, as the Cards fell by two runs at 4-2.
Inside the Boxscore
- The Cards out-hit Findlay by a 6-5 margin, with six different players reaching base safely via a hit.
- Murphey had the RBI double for the team's only extra-base hit and Mouthaan had the other RBI on her single.
- Burgess, Weeks, Lobdell and Kennedi Thomas had the other hits for SV.
- Sarah Appold (9-7) took the loss in the circle despite not allowing a single earned run on five hits. She struck-out six and walked four but the Cardinal defense committed six errors for the four unearned runs.
Up Next...
Saginaw Valley is now 32-16 for the 2016 season after the split. The Cardinals will open play on Saturday (Apr. 30) morning against the Ferris State Bulldogs in an elimination game. The Bulldogs are the no. 4 seed and are 35-17 overall on the year.
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