UNIVERSITY CENTER -- In dramatic fashion, the Cardinal Softball team fought back for a victory in the nightcap of Thursday afternoon's GLIAC doubleheader versus No. 6 Grand Valley State at the SVSU Softball Complex. SVSU scored four runs in the bottom of the 7th to claim a 9-8 victory, coming away with a split after dropping the opener by a 7-0 score.
Game 1
The Lakers opened the contest with five runs in the top of the first inning, grabbing the quick 5-0 lead over the Cardinals.
That was more than enough for their starting pitcher, Allison Lipovsky, who was perfect until there was one out in the 6th inning and Alex Roob knocked a single down the left field line.
Roob would be the only base runner in the opener for SVSU, who would eventually fall 7-0 after the Lakers added another pair of runs in the 5th inning.
Lipovsky (14-1) finished with 12 strikeouts for Grand Valley in the game, claiming the win.
Jaclyn Groves (1-2) took the loss for SV in the circle, allowing four earned runs on five hits in her 0.2 innings of work. Mikayla Alexandrou finished the final 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking three and striking out one.
Game 2
The Cardinals delivered the first blow in the nightcap, using a two-run shot from Blasia Moyler in the home half of the 1st to take a 2-0 lead after scoring Shelby Misiak.
Grand Valley responded in the 3rd inning with three runs to grab the 3-2 lead but the Cards tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the 3rd when Meagan VerVaecke had an RBI single tht plated Aubree Mouthaan.
GV once again went for a trio of runs, this time taking a 6-3 edge in the top of the 5th inning to separate once again.
VerVaecke would deliver again for SVSU, however, drilling a two-out double to left center, pushing across Mouthan and pinch-runner Katy Ratajczak to trim the deficit to 6-5.
A solo shot from GV in the 6th pushed their lead to 7-5 and the Cardinals seemingly had an RBI single that made the score 7-6 but that was wiped off the board on a substitution mistake, ending the inning and leaving the Laker lead at 7-5.
Another solo home run from the Lakers in the top of the 7th put their lead at 8-5, giving them a three-run lead and leaving it up to the Cardinals to work their way back.
They would do just that, as Jackie Popko led-off the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to right center, making the score 8-6. Mouthaan walked in between two flyouts, putting Julia Salisbury at the plate with two outs.
Salisbury hit an infield single to second base, pushing Mouthaan to second. Alicia Kolacki was next, and she came through with a two-RBI double with two strikes on her to score Mouthaan and Salisbury and tie the game at 8-8.
Roob was due up next and she hit a hard ball to second base, which was misplayed and shot out into right field, allowing Kolacki to score the game-winning run and seal the 9-8 comeback victory.
VerVaecke had three hits with a double and three RBI in the nightcap. Kolacki had a two-RBI double and scored the game-winning run. Moyler had the two-run shot in the first, maintaining her GLIAC lead with her 8th blast of the year. She leads the league with a .424 batting average as well. Popko had her second career home run and second in as many doubleheaders for the Cards.
Kasey Bagelmann (1-2) picked up the victory in relief, working a single inning. She allowed one run on three hits, striking out one batter.
Up Next...
Saginaw Valley travels to Davenport on Saturday (Apr. 6) for a road GLIAC doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. in Caledonia. You can follow the action live at www.svsucardinals.com.
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