MIDLAND, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team returned to the field to take on rival Northwood University in a doubleheader on Friday in Midland, Mich.

The Cardinals rallied late in game one but came up short in a 3-2 loss in game one. SVSU ended a six-game losing skid with a 2-0 shutout in the finale to move to 30-18 overall and 16-10 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Game One Breakdown:

• Northwood built an early lead with a solo home run in the second, adding a two-run home run in the third.
• The Timberwolves kept the Cardinals off the board until the sixth inning when Sara Moss drove home Julia Salisbury and Sarah Gersch to cut the deficit to one run.
• Northwood closed out the win, keeping the Cardinals from tying the game in the seventh.
• Emily Depew pitched all six innings for the Cardinals, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out six.
• SVSU was held to five hits, all singles. Gersch, Salisbury, and Jackie Popko each recorded a stolen base.

Game Two Breakdown:

• The Cardinals held the Timberwolves to just two hits in game two.
• SVSU took the lead in the third innings on an RBI single from Popko to score Alyssa Muench.
• Blasia Moyler doubled the SVSU lead with an RBI single in the fourth to score Meagan VerVaecke.
• Julia Mundy (11-5) got the start on the mound and earned the win. She tossed five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Muench closed the game for the save with two scoreless innings, striking out five.
• Popko and Muench each finished with two hits.

Up Next:

The Cardinals close the regular season with a doubleheader against Ferris State University at 1 pm on Saturday at 1 pm in Big Rapids, Mich.