UNIVERSITY CENTER -- The No. 22 SVSU Softball team hosted Grand Valley State University on Saturday (Apr. 29) in a GLIAC doubleheader between the top two teams in the league. The Lakers claimed game one by a 5-3 margin before pulling-out a 7-6 nightcap win that was called due to darkness over the Cardinals.
Game One
In a matchup of top pitchers, the first runs came in the bottom of the 3rd when the Cardinals struck for a pair. Evy Lobdell put the home team on the board with a two-RBI double that scored Danielle Hamilton and Madison Burgess for the 2-0 lead.
GVSU responded right away in the top of the 4th, adding two runs of its own to knot the score at 2-2. The Lakers then added another in the 6th and two more in the top of the 7th to push the lead to 5-2.
Saginaw Valley got a lone run in the home half of the 7th, as Lauren Bachert drilled a solo home run to cut the deficit to 5-3. That was all the damage the Cards would do however, as GV closed-out for the 5-3 win.
Inside the Boxscore
- Saginaw Valley had three hits total in the opener, with Lobdell, Hamilton and Bachert each recording one.
- Bachert's home run was her fifth of the season.
- Lobdell had the double and two RBI.
- Hamilton had the team's only walk.
- GVSU's Allison Lipovsky notched 14 strikeouts in the game to get the win.
- Samantha Willman (16-6) took the loss in the circle for SV, working 6.2 innings while allowing five runs on eight hits and five walks. She posted five strikeouts.
- With the victory, GV claimed the 2017 GLIAC regular season title.
Game Two
The Cardinals grabbed the first lead in the second contest as well, using a wild pitch that scooted away from the GVSU catcher to score two runs. Aubree Mouthaan and Bachert scored on the play to take the 2-0 edge.
The Lakers tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning as they got a pair of RBI singles.
SVSU added a trio of runs in the top of the 3rd, with the action starting on a Mouthaan double that pushed Rousse across. Courtney Reeves then stepped to the plate and knocked a home run deep to left center, scoring Mouthaan in the process to take a 5-2 lead.
The big blow would come in the bottom of the 4th, as the Lakers went for five runs, using five hits and an error to take a 7-5 lead.
In the top of the 5th, the Cards had a chance to comeback and scored a single run when Becky Corbett hit a single to drive-in Bachert and make the score 7-6. After having a runner in scoring position for two other batters, SV was unable to add anything more to the board.
After GVSU was retired in the bottom of the 5th inning, the game was called due to darkness and the went to the Lakers with the 7-6 score.
Inside the Boxscore
- Reeves's third-inning home run tied the SVSU single season record, as she notched her 12th of the 2017 campaign. She had two RBI on the blast.
- Bachert went 3-3 in the second contest with a double and two runs scored.
- Mouthaan had a double, RBI and scored twice.
- Corbett was 1-1 with an RBI and two walks.
- Burgess had the only SVSU stolen base.
- Annie Hansen (7-4) took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.
- Emily Osteen worked 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking-out two batters, walking a pair and allowing zero hits.
Up Next...
The Cardinals will enter this weekend's GLIAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 Hillsdale in Friday's opening round. First pitch is set for Noon at the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay, Ohio. It marks the third straight season the two teams have met in the opener of the GLIAC Tournament.
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