UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team split the final home doubleheader of the regular season with Ferris State on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals (31-14, 14-7 GLIAC) fell 4-2 to the Bulldogs (23-31, 11-11 GLIAC) in game one before pulling ahead 5-4 to win the nightcap.

Sarah Gersch led the way offensively with three hits in her six at-bats. The senior shortstop hit a solo home run in game one. Alexis Gills was two for six and hit a two-run home run in game two that gave SVSU the lead in the sixth inning. Jackie Popko made her lone hit of the day count as she smacked a three-run home run in game two that got the Cardinals within one score of the lead.

Game 1: Ferris State def. Saginaw Valley State, 4-2

Gersch struck the ball over the fence at center field to put SVSU up 1-0 after the first inning of play.

An error and a single through the left side puts runs on the board for Ferris State in the fifth inning as the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead. Sara Moos hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the inning to knot things up at 2-2.

A single to left field with runners on first and second allowed a run to score after an error. A fielder's choice play on the ensuing at-bat extended the lead for FSU to its final result of 4-2 in the top half of the sixth inning.

Emily Depew (L, 13-6) struck out eight batters in seven innings of work as she suffered a loss in game one.

Game 2: Saginaw Valley State def. Ferris State, 5-4

A home run in left field gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Another homerun in the fourth to tack on another run before a sacrifice fly added another run to give FSU a 3-0 run after four innings of play. An RBI single in the second pushed the advantage to 4-0 for the visitors.

Popko cut the lead to just one with a three-run bomb to center field in the bottom half of the fifth inning.

Gills then took the lead for SVSU with a two-run home run to left field the following inning that sealed the win in the final game of the day.

Alyssa Muench (W, 9-4) got the win after three innings of relief in game two. Muench struck out two batters and allowed just one run in the winning effort.

UP NEXT

The SVSU softball team wraps up the regular season on Monday, May 1 on the road against Davenport. The first game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.