INDIANAPOLIS – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team beat Lewis 3-2 on the first day of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals (35-20) used an RBI single in the top of the seventh for the game-winning score to advance to day two unbeaten.

Ella Reifschneider got things going in the first with a bunt single to get on base. Sara Moos singled and advanced to second on a defensive error to put two runners in scoring position. Mya Purdy hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Reifschneider and giving SVSU the 1-0 lead early.

Emily Depew (W, 21-7) got the start and went the full seven innings to earn the win. She got things going by striking out the side in the bottom half of the first inning. Depew held the Flyers scoreless through the first five innings of the game.

Sydney Herioux extended the advantage to 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning with a solo-shot home run to center field.

A sacrifice fly to left field put Lewis on the board and halved the Cardinal lead to just one run.

A Reifschneider single to left center field pushed Natalie Savage across the plate and the score was sitting at 3-1 with three outs left to seal the win.

An error by the Cardinals gave the Flyers another run, but Depew got the final punchout with a strikeout swinging to send Saginaw Valley State to day two.

Reifschneider was 3-for-3 at the plate with a run and an RBI to lead the winning effort. Moos and Herioux each recorded two hits with Herioux registering a run and an RBI with her fourth home run of the season. Depew's final line in the circle was 7.0 innings pitched, four hits, two runs, one earned, and eight strikeouts.

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SVSU will play the first game of day two against host UIndy at 11:00 AM EST. The winner of the game will advance to the Championship round on Saturday, the losing team will play later in the afternoon in an elimination game.