UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team swept Grand Valley State to widen the gap between the Cardinals (21-9, 11-1 GLIAC) and the rest of the conference. SVSU took game one, 7-4, with three runs in the seventh inning before a five-run inning in game two led to an 11-5 win to complete the sweep of the Lakers (17-15, 7-3 GLIAC).
GAME 1: SVSU 7 – GVSU 4
SVSU left runners stranded, but couldn't break the scoreless deadlock through the first four innings in game one.
Aalana Kimble (Kentwood, Mich. / East Kentwood HS) hit a single to right field with one out in the fifth to get on base. Kimble moved over to second when Emma Helvie (Markle, Ind. / Huntington North HS) after the second out of the frame. Olivia Elliott (Baroda, Mich. / Berrien Springs HS) wiped the bases with a three-run shot to center field to give the Cardinals the 3-0 lead.
GVSU responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning after an RBI single to center field cut the SVSU lead to a single run, 3-2, going into the sixth.
The Lakers took the lead in the bottom half after a single up the middle tied the game, and an error on a fielder's choice bases-loaded play pushed two runs across the plate for the home team for a 4-3 advantage.
Back-to-back singles put Natalie Savage (Howell, Mich. / Howell HS) and Kimble on the base paths in the top of the seventh. Purdy moved them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt that set up Helvie to bring them both home on a double to left field, and the Cardinals recaptured the lead, 5-4.
Kenzie Bromley (Petoskey, Mich. / Petoskey HS) walked, and Ella Schneider (Southfield, Mich. / Berkley HS) doubled to right center for two more runs, and SVSU led 7-4 with just three more outs needed to seal the win.
Macy Irelan (Owosso, Mich. / Owosso HS) (Sv, 1) entered the game to pitch in relief for Kimble in the bottom half of the final stanza. Irelan sat the first two Laker hitters down on strikes before sealing the win with a pop out to first base to collect her first save of the season.
Kimble (W, 9-4) pitched six innings and struck out six batters in her ninth win of the season. She allowed seven hits and three earned runs in the win. She also led the Cardinals at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a run in the game. Helvie, Elliott, Schneider, Savage, and Ella Reifschneider (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville HS) recorded a hit for SVSU. Elliott tallied three RBI, while Helvie and Schneider collected two.
GAME 2: SVSU 11 – GVSU 5
Schneider got things going in game two with a lead-off single to left center in the top of the second. An error on a sacrifice bunt by Reifschneider moved her to second and Schneider to third with no outs. Schneider scored on the next play to put SVSU ahead, 1-0.
Kimble extended the lead with a two-run single through the left side that scored Savage and Reifschneider and put the Cardinals up 3-0 with just one out. Mya Purdy (Chelsea, Mich. / Chelsea HS) finished off a five-run second inning with a two-run blast over the left field fence to put SVSU ahead 5-0.
GVSU closed the gap in the fourth inning with a three-run home run to left center to put the score at 5-3 with three innings left to play.
Kate Pnacek (Coleman, Mich. / Coleman HS) hit a two-run double to left center in the fifth inning that moved the margin to 7-3.
Helvie hit a home run, her fourth of the season, to center field to put two more runs on the board in the top of the sixth inning.
Grand Valley threatened in the home half of the frame, with runners on second and third with one out, but Irelan (W, 9-4) cleared the jam with a fly out to center and strikeout to keep the score at 9-3 going into the final inning.
Pnacek added to more with a home run to center field that brought Reifschneider home and pushed the lead to 11-3 with one half inning left to play.
An error and a double put a run in for the Lakers in the seventh. A single through the middle scored another, but SVSU got out of the inning before the rally could be completed and took the 11-5 win.
Four Cardinals finished with a team-high two hits in game two. Pnacek (2-for-4) led the way with four RBI. Kimble (2-for-5), Purdy (2-for-3), and Helvie (2-for-4) tallied two hits and two RBI in the winning effort. Elliott, Schneider, and Reifschneider recorded one hit for the Cardinals.
Irelan picked up her ninth win and ninth complete game after allowing seven hits, three earned runs, and walking two. She sat down nine Lakers on strikes in the win.
UP NEXT: The SVSU softball team will return home for a doubleheader tomorrow when rival Northwood comes to town for a 3 p.m. (ET) start.