COCOA, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team swept the doubleheader against Bridgeport on the first day of the Cardinals (3-3) Spring Break trip games in Florida on Saturday.
The Cardinals took game one 4-2 before completing the sweep in a 2-1 win in the second game against the Purple Knights (1-3).
GAME 1: SVSU 4, Bridgeport 2
Bridgeport took a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the 3rd-inning after a Cardinal error allowed two unearned to cross the plate.
A single to left by Olivia Elliott and another to short by Aalana Kimble moved SVSU to a scoring position. Mya Purdy then reached on a fielder's choice that put runners in the corners and the Cardinals scored on a double steal to cut the deficit in half.
Emma Helvie doubled to center field to lead off the fifth inning and scored on an error two plays later to tie the game at two runs.
Lillia Sherman singled to left to lead off the sixth inning. Elliott doubled to center on the next play to score pinch runner Emma Bolding to move to a 3-2 lead.
Sherman brought home the final run of game one in the seventh with a two-out single to right field that scored Kate Pnacek.
Macy Irelan (W, 1-2) struck out the first two Purple Knight batters in the seventh before a pop fly to first ended the game.
Irelan finished her third complete game. She gave up four hits and two runs, none earned while striking out 10 hitters. Sherman went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Elliott was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Kimble and Helvie each recorded a hit in game one.
GAME TWO: SVSU 2, Bridgeport 1
Bridgeport took an early 1-0 lead off a wild pitch in the top half of the first. Two Purple Knight errors and a walk loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, but Bridgeport escaped the jam to hold onto the one-run advantage after one.
Kimble doubled to center field with two outs that scored Pnacek and Jenna Morse in the third inning to take the 2-1 lead.
The Purple Knights threatened in the sixth with a single and an error putting two runners on base. Irelan (Sv, 1) then replaced Kimble (W, 1-0) and got out of the jam with a sacrifice bunt and two strikeouts. Irelan would sit four of six batters faced on strikes and earn her first save as a Cardinal in the final two innings.
Kimble led SVSU with two hits and two RBI in game two. She also earned her first win in the circle, allowing only two hits and one run with two strikeouts.
UP NEXT: The Cardinals have Sunday off before facing Cedarvill and Walsh on Monday, March 3. The game against Cedarville starts at 4:45 p.m. with Walsh beginning at 7 p.m.