BIG RAPIDS -- The SVSU Softball team posted a split on the road at Ferris State in a pair of high-scoring games with the Bulldogs. The Cardinals ended game one on an 8-0 to claim a 12-11 comeback victory but fell in the nightcap by a score of 14-12.
Game 1
At the end of four innings, the Cardinals trailed 11-4. The visitors got runs in the 2nd and 3rd on RBI from Julia Salisbury and Meagan VerVaecke and a pair in the 4th when Jackie Popko drilled a two-RBI single.
Three runs came SVSU's way in the 6th to trim the deficit to 11-7. Becky Corbett crossed the plate on an error while Popko added another pair of RBI on a two-run shot to left center.
The Cardinals had a big inning in the 7th, going for five runs to take a narrow 12-11 lead. Corbett had an RBI single, Sarah Gersch drove-in Alexis Cerven and Shelby Misiak had a two-RBI double. The final run came when VerVaecke added an RBI single.
Despite a Bulldog runner reaching second base, the Cardinals closed-out for the 12-11 game one victory.
Kasey Bagelmann (2-2) picked up the victory in relief, working the final 3.0 innings of scoreless softball. She allowed one hit, walked three and had one strikeout.
Popko finished the opener with three hits, four RBI and two runs. She had her 5th home run of the season. VerVaecke added three hits with two RBI and a run. Cerven had two hits with an RBI and two runs scored. Misiak had a hit and two RBI while Gersch added two hits, an RBI and crossed the plate three times. Salisbury had a hit and RBI as well and Corbett added two hits and an RBI with two runs.
Game 2
Saginaw Valley jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st, as Misiak had a two-run home run and Cerven added a two-RBI single for the Cardinals.
The Bulldogs responded with nine straight runs, going for one in the 1st, five in the 2nd and three in the 3rd to take a 9-4 edge.
Popko added another two RBI in the top of the 4th, belting her sixth home run to trim the team's deficit to 9-6.
After Ferris added two more in the 4th to put the score at 11-6, Saginaw Valley scored four in the 5th on a two-run Blasia Moyler long ball, an RBI single from Popko and an RBI infield single from Aubree Mouthaan. That cut the Bulldog lead and put the score at 11-10.
Another Bulldog run came in the home half of the 5th but two more from the visitors in the 6th made the score tied at 12-12. Those two runs came after Popko yet again had two RBI, ripping a single up the middle.
Ferris State came back in response once again, however, in the home half the sixth with two runs to take a 14-12 lead into the final frame.
SVSU got a runner in scoring position and to third base but could not score any runs and Ferris State came away with the victory.
The Cards racked-up a season-high 22 hits in the nightcap. Those 22 hits are the most in a game in at least 20 years.
Five of those hits came from Popko, who finished a monster offensive twinbill by going 5-for-5 with five RBI and a run scored. She had a home run in the contest. Salisbury had four hits in five tries with two runs. Moyler and Cerven both had two hits with a pair of RBI, with Moyler tagging her league-leading 12th home run of the season. She scored twice and had a walk. Misiak finished with two hits and two RBI with her seventh home run of the season. Corbett, VerVaecke and Gersch all added a pair of hits, while Mouthaan had a hit and RBI.
Elayne Young took the loss in relief, allowing four runs (2 ER) on four hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Up Next...
The Cardinals remain on the road and face #6 Grand Valley State on Saturday in another league doubleheader. First pitch will be 1:00 p.m. in Allendale, Michigan.
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