KENOSHA, Wis. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team swept Parkside to improve to 4-1 in GLIAC play this season. The Cardinals (17-8, 4-1 GLIAC) took game one against the Rangers (13-13, 4-4 GLIAC) 14-2 after five innings before completing the sweep with an 8-6 decision in the nightcap.
GAME 1: SVSU 14 – Parkside 2 (5 Innings)
The top of the order for the Cardinals tallied two hits in the 14-2 win in game one. Aalana Kimble finished 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs, and an RBI, Ella Reifschneider went 2-for-3 with three runs, a walk, and an RBI on her stat line, and Jenna Morse was 2-for-3 with two RBI as well. Emma Helvie also finished the game with two hits in her three appearances while tallying both a run and an RBI. Olivia Elliott and Mya Purdy led with three RBI, both hitting home runs in the game, while both scoring two runs as well.
Macy Irelan (W, 8-3) went four innings in the circle and allowed just two hits and struck out eight to earn her eighth win of her debut season. Delaney Conley pitched the fifth in relief.
Kimble led things off with a single before Reifschneider doubled to left field and scored Kimble for the quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. Elliott walked before Purdy blasted a three-run shot over the left field fence and pushed the lead to 4-0 after the opening frame.
The Rangers scored a run in the bottom half of the first to trim the deficit to three runs, but Morse singled in the top of the second to score Natalie Savage to extend the lead to 5-1.
SVSU exploded in the third inning as the team scored five runs on five hits in the inning. Helvie doubled to right center to bring Purdy home. Ella Schneider singled up the middle to score Helvie two plays later. A wild pitch and a passed ball advanced Schneider to third, and Kimble singled to score Schneider. Morse singled to bring Kimble home, and Reifschneider scored on a double steal for the final run of the inning, and the score sat at 10-1 after three innings.
A Parkside error and two hits put four more runs on the board for the Cardinals. Three of the four runs occurred on Elliott's home run to left center with one out for the final runs of the game for SVSU.
GAME 2: SVSU 8 – Parkside 6
Reifschneider, Morse, and Purdy tallied two hits in game two to lead the way offensively in the sweep. Reifschneider scored twice while Schneider led with three RBI. Purdy finished with two RBI and a run in the second game. Kimble got the start at pitcher for SVSU and went 1.1 innings with two strikeouts. Elliott entered in relief for 2.2 innings and struck out two before Irelan (W, 9-3) earned her ninth win in the final three innings of play, striking out six for a two-game total of 14 Ks.
The Rangers scored five runs in the first two innings to hold a 5-1 lead going into the third. Kenzie Bromley put the lone run up on the board with a two-out home run to left field in the top of the second.
Morse doubled in the third to score Reifschneider and trim the lead to 5-2 after three innings of play.
Savage hit a home run to left center in the fifth to bring the Cardinals within two runs of tying things up.
Schneider then took the lead in the sixth with a three-run home run over the same part of the fence as Savage to put SVSU ahead 6-5.
Parkside had an RBI-single to left center in the bottom half of the inning that tied the game at six runs each with one inning of play remaining.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Cardinals in the seventh inning and set up Purdy's two-run single through the left side that put the score where it would remain at 8-6.
The Rangers threatened in the bottom half with a double, but a two fly outs and a strikeout ended the game with a second Saginaw Valley State win.
UP NEXT: The Cardinals will travel to Chicago to play GLIAC newcomer Roosevelt tomorrow, March 29, at 1:00 p.m. (ET).