MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team split with Georgia College to begin the 2025 season. The Cardinals (1-1) gave up a close 2-1 decision in game one before battling back from a four-run deficit in game two to win 7-6 in eight innings to capture the split with the Bobcats (6-6).
Aalana Kimble led the way for SVSU with three hits, two runs, and a triple in the season's first two games. Mya Purdy also recorded three hits to bat .429 for the afternoon. Purdy also stole two bases and recorded the game-tying RBI in the 7-6 win in the final inning of regulation in game two. Ella Schneider finished with two hits while scoring two runs on the day.
GAME 1 – GCSU 2 – SVSU 1
The Cardinals tallied five hits but could only muster one run in a close 2-1 loss to the Bobcats in the first game of the 2025 Spring Season. Ella Reifschneider got things going in the game's first at-bat with an infield single but was put out on the next play and Georgia State kept the game scoreless.
Macy Irelan (L, 0-1) recorded her first start in the circle for SVSU. Irelan struck out 13 GCSU hitters and only three hits in the losing effort.
The Bobcats took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning after a solo home run to left center broke the tie ball game.
Saginaw Valley State got out of a jam in the bottom of the 3rd-inning when Irelan struck out Karlie Gutierrez with a runner on third base to keep the deficit at 1-0 going into the fourth.
Purdy recorded the Cardinals' second hit of the game with a single up the middle with two outs in the top of the 4th inning. Purdy stole second base, but a strikeout ended the inning before Purdy could advance further.
Kimble singled through the right side to get on base for Saginaw Valley in the top of the 6th inning. Emma Helvie hit a two-out triple to score Kimble and tie the score at 1-1 late in the game.
GCSU recaptured the lead in the bottom half of the sixth after two walks and a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position that set up a sacrifice fly to right field to put the score at 2-1.
Schneider smacked a double to right center in the top of the seventh but two strikeouts ended the game before the Cardinals could tie the score a second time.
Reifschneider, Kimble, Helvie, Purdy, and Schneider recorded a hit with Helvie getting the team's lone RBI.
GAME 2 – SVSU 7 – GCSU 6 (8-Innings)
Reifschneider doubled to center field to start the game with a hit for SVSU, but three strikeouts stranded her at second and preserved the scoreless tie. The Bobcats scored two runs on three straight singles in the bottom half of the 1st-inning to take a quick 2-0 lead.
Purdy singled up the middle in the second, but the Cardinals couldn't put a run on the board until the third when Olivia Elliott hit a two-run home run to left field with two outs that scored Reifschneider and knotted things up at two runs each.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth when GCSU tallied four runs on four hits to take a 6-2 advantage into the seventh inning. Saginaw Valley battled back in the team's final chance to win or force extra innings scoring four runs on two hits to force extras.
Reifschneider walked and Jenna Morse was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with one out. Kimble then singled to third loading the bases. Elliott was walked and Reifschneider scored to trim the lead to three runs. Helvie flew out to right field allowing Morse to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly and a wild pitch scored Kimble and moved pinch runner Emily Schmeltz to third with two outs in the top of the seventh. Purdy singled to left field and scored Schmeltz to tie the game at six all.
A two-out double by the Bobcats in the bottom half of the inning threatened a walk-off victory, however, a fly out to left field pushed the game to extra innings where the Cardinals would take advantage and claim the win.
Natalie Savage reached second on a double to right center to score Schneider who was the runner at second to lead off the eighth. That run proved to be the difference in game two.
Purdy led the way in the game going 2-for-4 in the win with an RBI. Kimble also recorded two hits in her three at-bats. Elliott finished game two with a team-high three RBI including her two-run home run early in the game.
Kimble got the start in the circle and pitched 5.1 innings with five strikeouts before Delaney Conley (W, 1-0) earned her first win of the season in 2.2 innings of relief. Conley sat two Bobcat batters and gave zero runs to earn the victory.
UP NEXT: The Cardinals will remain in Georgia tomorrow (Saturday, February 22) for a doubleheader against 11th-ranked North Georgia, which begins at noon.