HILLSDALE, Mich. -- The SVSU Softball team picked up a pair of victories on the road Friday afternoon, defeating the Chargers by a 12-3 count in the opener before coming away with an 8-6 win in the nightcap. The wins move the Cardinals to 18-16 overall. Hillsdale falls to 15-18 overall after the regional twinbill.
Game 1
Sarah Gersch led-off the game with her first collegiate home run, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. That would be answered in the home half by the Chargers, who knotted the score at 1-1.
The Cardinals pushed the lead to 3-1 in the top of the 2nd when Blasia Moyler blasted her 11th home run of the season, scoring Julia Salisbury as well.
Four more runs came SVSU's way in the top of the 6th, starting when Moyler had an RBI single that scored Alex Roob and Becky Corbett added a two-RBI single that pushed across Moyler and Salisbury. Jackie Popko had the final RBI of the inning when she hit a single that would score Alexis Cerven to make the score 7-1.
Saginaw Valley came up big in the 7th inning once more, separating themselves with five runs to make the score 12-2 over the Chargers after a 6th inning HC run. Salisbury delivered a two-RBI double in the inning while Morgan Duda made her first college long ball count, driving-in three runs for the home run to push the lead to the 12-2 score.
The Chargers added another run in the home half of the 7th to make the count 12-3, but starter Julia Mundy (5-5) held strong and closed-out for the victory over Hillsdale with that same score.
Moyler had two hits with the home run and three RBI. Salisbury's two hits were both doubles, as she added two RBI and scored three times. She leads the team and the GLIAC with 14 doubles. Duda had three RBI on the home run, while Aubree Mouthaan and Meagan VerVaecke added two hits-apiece. Gersch's lone hit was her first college home run for the Cardinals.
Game 2
Both teams scored a run in the 1st inning, with the Cards getting an RBI single from Mouthaan as the score stood at 1-1 after one inning of action.
The 3rd inning saw the visitors go for four runs, taking a 5-1 lead over the Chargers. Mouthaan added another RBI single, VerVaecke drove home two with a single and Moyler had an RBI double for the Cardinals.
Another pair would score in the 4th, as Corbett crossed the plate on a passed ball and Shelby Misiak had an RBI single, putting the count at 7-1 in SVSU's favor.
Hillsdale posted four runs in the bottom of the 5th inning, trimming the deficit to 7-5 before SVSU answered with a run in the top of the 6th with Misiak added an RBI double to put the count at 8-5.
The Chargers got a solo home run in the frame, making the score 8-6 as the teams entered the 7th inning.
A 1-2-3 inning for SVSU game HC the opportunity in the home half to make a charge. They would do just that, loading the bases with no outs in the inning.
Elayne Young entered in the circle for the Cards, proceeding to set the next three batters down and seal her first career save for the Cards and the 8-6 victory.
Gersch had two runs scored and three hits in the nightcap for SVSU. Mouthaan and Misiak each had two hits and two RBI, with Mouthaan scoring twice as well. Popko had two hits and two runs while VerVaecke had two RBI with a hit.
Jaclyn Groves (3-2) got the victory for the Cardinals in the contest, tossing 4.2 innings while allowing 10 hits and five runs. She had six strikeouts and walked just one batter. Young recorded the save in the game, working the final three outs pitching.
Up Next...
After Sunday's scheduled doubleheader versus Wayne State was postponed due to poor weather forecasted, the Cardinals are slated to play at Northwood on Tuesday, April 16 in a GLIAC doubleheader set to begin at 3:30 pm. Stay tuned to svsucardinals.com for all schedule updates for Saginaw Valley.
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