MIDLAND, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team swept Northwood on the road in the team's final non-conference doubleheader of the regular season with wins of 3-2 and 14-6. The Cardinals (38-10) never trailed the Timberwolves (24-16) in either game on the way to the 38th win of the season.
GAME 1: SVSU 3 – Northwood 2
SVSU took a 2-1 lead early in game one and held on for the victory after cutting a Northwood rally short in the seventh inning.
Jenna Morse singled to left field in the top of the first to get on base before Kenzie Bromley brought her home with a two-run blast over the left-field fence for the early 2-0 lead. The home run was Bromley's 10th of the season.
A double to left center by Ashley Ziel scored a run in the home half of the first and cut the Cardinal lead to a single score at 2-1.
Mya Purdy led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field, her fifth of the season, to extend the advantage back to two runs.
Northwood wouldn't threaten again until the bottom of the seventh when Payton Schafsnitz hit a home run to left center to bring the score to 3-2 with only one out. A two-out double put a runner in scoring position, and a walk gave first to the game-winning runner, but a fly out to center halted the rally, and the Cardinals held on for the win.
Purdy finished game one going 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Morse added a run and a hit to her stat line. Bromley's only hit was her two-run home run in the first. Ella Reifschneider, Olivia Elliott, and Natalie Savage recorded hits for SVSU.
Reigning GLIAC pitcher of the week, Macy Irelan (W, 16-3), got the win in her 17th complete game of the season. She finished with five hits, two runs, three walks, and 11 strikeouts. It is the ninth time this season she has recorded double-digit punch-outs.
GAME 2: SVSU 14 – Northwood 6
Both teams registered four runs in the opening frame before SVSU pulled away with five runs in the third and seventh innings.
Morse got on base to begin game two with a walk before stealing second base. A pitch hit Elliott before Purdy drilled a two-RBI double to left center to take a 2-0 lead. Ella Schneider then singled to short and stole second before Reifschneider brought her and Purdy home for the 4-0 lead.
Two singles and a groundout put runners on the corners for the Timberwolves before a fielder's choice play loaded the bases. A hit by pitch on the next play gave Northwood a free run. Another was added on a walk, and the score sat at 4-2 before a single up the middle by Saylar Cuthrell scored two runs and knotted the score at four runs.
The Cardinals left two runners on base in the second inning before tallying five runs on three hits in the third. Schneider singled and Reifschneider walked to lead things off with two baserunners. Kate Pnacek was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded for Savage. She singled through the left side to score Schneider and Reifschneider for a 6-4 advantage. Morse hit an RBI groundout for the 7-4 lead before Bromley cleared the base paths with her second home run of the day to bring the lead to 9-4 after three innings of play.
Lillia Sherman singled up the middle in the seventh to score Evelynn Rybicki and Reifschneider. Bromley then smashed her third home run of the day. This one traveled over the left center fence and scored three more runs with two outs, and the Cardinals put seven runs on the board to lead 14-4.
A double and a single scored two runs for the Timberwolves, but SVSU recorded the final out on a fly to center field to take the 14-6 win and complete the sweep.
Bromley was lethal at the plate for the Cardinals as she finished game two 2-for-5 with both of her hits being home runs. She scored two runs and a team-high five RBI in the game. Her afternoon total was 3-for-8 with three runs and seven RBI, with all three of her hits being home runs to lead SVSU with 12 for the season.
Schneider went 3-for-4 and Reifschneider went 3-for-3 in game two. Schneider scored two runs while Reifschneider scored twice and recorded two RBI. Savage also scored twice and brought two more home.
Aalana Kimble (W, 17-3) recorded her 17th win of the season with 6.0 innings of work, where she allowed four hits and three runs while striking out three Northwood hitters. Grace Schloop pitched an inning in relief for the Cardinals.
UP NEXT: SVSU wraps up the regular season with doubleheaders at Grand Valley State on Friday, April 25, and Purdue Northwest on Saturday, April 26. The first game against the Lakers is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. (ET).