UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The University of Indianapolis claimed the 2009 NCAA Division II Softball Midwest Super Region championship with a 12-3 victory over Saginaw Valley State University at the SVSU Athletic Complex on Saturday (May 16). The Greyhounds move on to play in the Division II Softball World Series next week, having won the best-of-three Super Region series over the Cardinals, two games to one.

UIndy started the game three scoring in the top of the first inning when sophomore second baseman Jamie Keltz led off with a single. The next two Greyhounds would fail to advance Keltz, but freshman catcher Ashley Boxley doubled to left center, plating the first run of the game.

The Cardinals would answer in the bottom of the fourth when senior shortstop Nicole Fick (Columbiaville, Mich./Lapeer West) hit a leadoff homerun to right center field, tying the contest at 1-1.

SVSU would post its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Senior outfielder Marsha Beaubien (Alpena, Mich.) opened the inning with a single, and was sacrificed to second. Senior catcher Jessica Anhel was then hit by a pitch and was pinch ran for by sophomore Jessica McKeith (River Rouge, Mich.). Beabien and McKeith would then pull off a perfect double steal, placing two runners in scoring position. Sophomore outfielder Ashley Jordan (Freeland, Mich.) added an RBI single to score Beaubien, while a UIndy errant throw plated McKeith on the following play, growing the Cardinal lead to 3-1.

UIndy would regain the lead in the top of the sixth as the Cardinals experienced some fielding woes. The first two Greyhounds to bat in the sixth would reach on errors, followed by an RBI double by junior Jessica Breeden and a two-run double by junior shortstop Carmen Martinez, making the score 4-3 in favor of UIndy.

The UIndy lead would continue to grow when freshman outfielder Chrissy Stephens reached base on the third Cardinals error in the inning, going second and advancing Martinez to third. After the Cardinals recorded a groundout, Keltz would single to third base, but the ball would strike Martinez for the second out of the inning.

Things would continue to unravel for the Cardinals as senior outfielder Jenny Swanson tallied an RBI single, making the score 5-3 and ending the day for SVSU starting pitcher Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.). Junior Kari Bowlby (Elkhart, Ind./Central) would relieve Fulton but the scoring would continue as senior designated player Megan Russell would single to score Keltz. The Greyhounds would tack on five more runs and ended the half-inning with a 12-3 advantage.

SVSU could not stage a comeback in the bottom of the sixth and the game would end as a 12-3 UIndy victory.

UIndy starting pitcher Meagan Gutierrez went three innings, giving up one run and getting a no-decision. Megan Russell (19-10) picks up the win in relief, throwing three innings of two-run ball. Fulton takes the loss for the Cardinals, pitching five and two-thirds innings and allowing seven runs, but just two earned runs on nine hits and seven strikeouts. Fulton ends the season with an 18-6 mark.

The Greyhounds, having reached NCAA Division II postseason play for just the second time in school history, are now 36-19 on the season and will make their first appearance in the D-II college world series.

The Cardinals, who surrendered more than six runs in a game for the first time all season, close the 2009 campaign with a 39-11 mark.