2017 GLIAC Softball Tournament Central
FINDLAY, Ohio -- The No. 3 seeded Saginaw Valley State Cardinals captured the 2017 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Softball Tournament Championship after they defeated No. 5 Ashland on Sunday (May 7) at the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay, Ohio. The Cardinals earned a pair of victories by final scores of 1-0 and 11-7 to hoist the trophy in the best-of-three games championship round. Saginaw Valley earns its third GLIAC Softball Tournament title in program history and first since 2009.
GAME 1: No. 3 Saginaw Valley def. No. 5 Ashland, 1-0 (SVSU leads 1-0) | BOX SCORE
RECAP: Saginaw Valley senior pitcher Sam Willman fired a complete-game shutout allowing five hits while striking out eight batters to give SVSU a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three games championship series. The lone score of the game came in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single from junior designated player Courtney Reeves who drove one to left field scoring junior Meredith Rousse for the go-ahead and event game-winning run. Reeves and sophomore shortstop Aubree Mouthaan collected two hits each in the victory, while Ashland sophomore first baseman Kylie Asmus collected two hits of her own. AU junior pitcher Paige McMenemy threw six strong innings allowing six hits while striking out three batters in the loss.
GAME 2: No. 3 Saginaw Valley def. No. 5 Ashland, 11-7 (SVSU wins 2-0) | BOX SCORE
RECAP: Saginaw Valley pushed across four runs in the top of the second inning to take an early 4-0 advantage over Ashland. Evy Lobdell notched an RBI with a single to score Aubree Mouthaan before Lauren Bachert connected on a hit to left center which eventually plated Courtney Reeves following an AU error. Third baseman Becky Corbett finished the rally with a 2-RBI double to left center scoring both Lobdell and Bachert. In the bottom half of the inning, Ashland jumped on the scoreboard thanks to an RBI double from GLIAC Freshman of the Year Dayna Denner as Camille Pollutro came around to score. AU crept within two after Alexis Van Horn forced a fielder's choice that forced Jenny Raguz to touch home.
After the Eagles tied it up 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals put up a four-spot in the top of the fifth capped off by a Corbett 2-RBI double to score both Bachert and Reeves to give Saginaw Valley a 9-5 lead late. SVSU extended the lead further with RBI singles from Mouthaan and Bachert as the Cardinals inched closer to the title.