ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team fought Grand Valley State to extra innings, but the Lakers (47-6) were able to get a run in the eighth to defeat the Cardinals (37-6) to win the regional tournament.
Katelyn Pnacek and Sarah Gersch recorded hits for Saginaw Valley State. Jaclyn Groves pitched six innings of relief where she allowed three hits, no runs, and struck out a batter. Emily Depew (L, 19-8) came into the game in the seventh inning and gave up the game's only run in two innings of work.
The Cardinals used defense to keep the Lakers off the board through the first six innings as the game remained scoreless.
Grand Valley threatened with two runners in scoring position in the second, but the SVSU defense made the plays necessary to put two outs on the board before relief pitcher Jaclyn Groves struck out the third batter to preserve the tie.
Katelyn Pnacek got the first hit of the contest for Saginaw Valley in the bottom of the fourth inning. She was able to move to third and threaten, but the Laker defense got out of the jam with two groundouts to the shortstop as the game moved into the fifth without a run crossing the plate for either team.
The Lakers put runners in scoring position again in the top of the fifth, but the Cardinals were able to make the plays to get the outs and keep GVSU from breaking the deadlock. The top of the sixth started with a lead-off double for the Lakers, but again, SVSU made the defensive plays needed to prevent a score.
Gersch doubled to left center field in the bottom of the sixth to get into scoring position, but defenses stops kept the score at zeros just like the previous five innings of play.
Neither team could break the tie before the end of regulation, so the game moved to extra innings with goose eggs on the board.
A walk on the lead off put a Laker on first base, but she left early on a hit deep to right field for the second out of the eighth. A double to left center field scored the games first run as GVSU took a 1-0 lead with two outs.
A groundout to second base, strike out swinging, and a fly out to right field sealed the victory for the Lakers and ended the Cardinals season.
SEASON WRAP UP
The SVSU softball team saw another great season come to end with back-to-back GLIAC tournament championships and two consecutive NCAA Division II Midwest Regional appearances. The Cardinals had nine players earn conference awards and several career records were broken as was a team season record for walks
