UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – After 34 games away from home, the Saginaw Valley State University softball team made its 2022 debut at the SVSU Softball Complex for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Purdue Northwest on Friday.

On a windy afternoon, the Cardinals rolled to an 11-3 win in five innings in game one before holding off the Pride for a 4-2 win in the finale. The sweep moves SVSU to 24-12 overall and 10-4 in the GLIAC.

Game One Breakdown:

• The Pride got on the board first with a two-run single in the first.
• SVSU answered quickly with an RBI single from Julia Salisbury in the bottom of the first.
• The Cardinals took the lead in the second with RBIs from Maddie Campagna and Leah Denome.
• After the Pride tied the score at 3-3 in the third, SVSU pulled away with seven runs in the fourth starting with an RBI single from Jackie Popko.
• Meagan VerVaecke brought home two more SVSU runs with a double, followed by a two-run triple from Blasia Moyler. Sarah Gersch added a two-run double of her own later in the inning to put the Cardinals up 10-3.
• The Pride got back in the game with three in the top of the fifth, including a two-run home run.
• SVSU ended the game with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth to end it. VerVaecke drove in two more with a single before Paige Kolinski ended game one with an RBI single up the middle.
• VerVaecke finished 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and four RBIs.
• Salisbury was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
• Emily Depew (9-7) pitched the complete game, going five innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits, walking four, and striking out seven.

Game Two Breakdown:

• The Pride scored first for a second straight game, getting a solo home run in the second.
• Sara Moos tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single in the third before Gersch hit another triple to put the Cardinals in front by one in the fourth.
• Denome doubled the Cardinal lead with an RBI single in the fourth.
• PNW took advantage of a Cardinal error in the sixth to cut the deficit to one.
• Campagna hit a solo home run to right to give the Cardinals a bit of insurance in the sixth.
• The run support was enough for Julia Mundy (8-2). She pitched all seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits, walking one, and striking out 12.
• Gersch, Moos, and Kolinski each recorded two hits for SVSU in the win.

Up Next:

The Cardinals remain home to host the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for Senior Day starting at 12 pm on Saturday. The Senior Day ceremony will take place prior to the first pitch of game one with the Rangers.